


Mornings

by RussianWitch



Category: Chronicles of Riddick Series
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Biting, Cluelessness, Frustration, M/M, Marking, Morning Sex, Oral Sex, Plot, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2018-01-07 08:28:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1117715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianWitch/pseuds/RussianWitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vaako still can't get a break.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not Beta'd

Vaako wakes up surrounded by animals.  
On his left the two hell hounds are curled around each other forming a barrier between him and the door.  
On his right the Lord Marshall is snoring into his ear taking up most of the bed surface. 

The breeder's hand is tangled in Vaako's hair pinning him; possessive even in slumber.  
Vaako's had to get used to being pawed even in his sleep; the Lord Marshall likes holding onto some part of him these days when they are resting.  
At first Vaako thought it was to make sure his guard doesn't go anywhere, but after several sleepless nights he had come to realize that it's some kind of possessive instinct that Riddick indulges in both asleep and awake. 

After several years of marriage to the Dame, so much physical contact seemed excessive; needlessly decadent, even if after weeks of it Vaako hates admitting that it might just please him that Riddick reaches for him even in sleep, wants to have Vaako in arm's reach.  
That is unless Vaako wants to start his day before the Lord Marshall is awake and has no way of untangling himself from the breeder's grasp. A hand in his hair isn't the worst he's had to suffer through until the Lord Marshall deigns to wake up. 

At first Vaako marveled at the excessive sleeping; it isn't laziness like some of the nobles whisper behind the Lord Marshall's back, to Vaako it now seems like Riddick is working through all the sleep he's missed from his time on the run. Now that he has his pets to stand guard, and Vaako at his side; Riddick can afford to catch up on all the rest he's missed. 

The Lord Marshall shifts growls in his sleep and throws an arm over Vaako's chest pulling him closer. To Vaako Riddick always feels fever hot; when sleeping beside the Lord Marshall he wakes up overheated and sweaty, not that Riddick minds nuzzling and licking at Vaako's skin no matter its condition.  
Vaako stays still; allows Riddick to wrap himself around his body, the Lord Marshall's breath damp against his throat, then lips and teeth on his skin worrying at the always healing punctures the latest purification has left on his neck. Vaako bites his lip to keep a moan from escaping when Riddick's tongue starts fucking into the wound. 

He isn't sure if the Lord Marshall is fully awake already or just acting on instinct; Vaako has gotten very well acquainted with the breeder's instincts and how they rule Riddick. He's seen that instinct at work while rooting out assassins and nobles who were plotting their elevations. He's also seen it work on planetary rulers and pitted against armies. He's also experienced it quite personally when getting dragged away from his duties because the Lord Marshall wanted to fuck.  
Occasionally Vaako has entertained the notion of civilizing the animal but has always discarded it unsure if he will like the results.  
After all, he has been chosen by the animal... 

 

The hand on his chest starts to slides down, scratches over his abdomen then lower to wrap around Vaako's cock. Vaako can control his voice but he can't control his hips thrusting shallowly into the scalding grasp. The movement gets Vaako a chuckle that vibrates down his spine and sharp teeth gnawing at his collar bone as his reward. 

"If my Lord permits it, I have to prepare for a meeting..." 

He is pretty sure that Riddick is fully awake by now and in one of his moods; if Vaako doesn't stop the proceedings now he won't be making any of the morning meetings he is supposed to attend this cycle. 

"They can wait, I won't." 

The hand from his cock ghosts over Vaako's balls to worm its way between his thighs. He tightens his muscles halting Riddick's exploration somewhat for a couple of moments, until the prodding gets rougher and Riddick's teeth scrape across a pectoral until the Lord Marshall can latch onto a tight nipple. 

The dogs on Vaako's other side perk up when one of Vaako's spreading legs falls against the flank of the closest one. They sniff the air, chirp curiously then jump sulkily off the bed when their master growls at them in return. Vaako has yet to find solid proof that the hounds and the Furyan understand each other, but he can't bring himself to discard the suspicion completely. 

More of Riddick's weight transfers onto him, pinning Vaako to the bed.  
With a sigh, and another swallowed moan Vaako gives up on the plan of keeping to the cycle's schedule.  
Having surrendered he decides to enjoy himself; wrapping his arms around his assailant's back, he digs his fingers into the flesh of Riddick's ass, scratches up the broad back leaving welts on both sides of Riddick's spine to wrap his fingers around the animal's skull forcing him to pay attention to the other side of Vaako's chest. Riddick wiggles until he is lying between Vaako's thighs his cock twitching against Vaako's as they rock against each other. 

At a particularly hard thrust Vaako digs his fingers into the skin of Riddick's skull half hoping that he is leaving marks that will be visible for the rest of the day. Riddick in the mean time starts biting his way down Vaako's chest, licking across Vaako's ribs down towards his cock. 

Necromongers use sex just like any other tool at their disposal; for influence and to prove their dominance, pleasure is an appreciated side effect but not the main reason to fornicate.  
Privately Vaako has been shocked to discover the sheer enjoyment the Lord Marshall derived from acts he has always considered to be base and signs of submission.  
Riddick's tongue lashes at Vaako's cock lapping at the fluid already beading at the head, then swallows him down. Vaako's thighs are pushed further apart, Riddick's fingers on Vaako's ass lifting him up, making Vaako arch off the bed for Riddick's comfort.  
Thick fingers tease at his opening, push against the tight muscle; opening Vaako up little by little as he is distracted by the enthusiastic sucking of his cock.  
The double assault continues until two of Riddick's fingers are sawing into Vaako without any effort, only to abruptly disappear. He doesn't even get the moment to catch his breath, or curse Riddick for stopping, getting flipped onto his stomach and forced to get his knees under him before his ass cheeks are spread wide. 

Only years of exercising self control kept Vaako from hurting himself, or the Lord Marshall, the first time he experienced the peculiar sensation of having a slick, agile tongue digging into his foundation. Vaako's first impulse had been to protest, pull away, and maybe try to explain how things were supposed to go.  
Fortunately he had been ignored; Riddick laughed and just kept at it ignoring Vaako's squirming until he'd had his fill then mounting Vaako, pushing in hard and merciless while simultaneously sinking his teeth into the back of Vaako's neck. Getting rutted hard and long had somewhat restored Vaako's equilibrium, but the next time they coupled Riddick had done it again with the same results.  
After a while it had simply become easier to accept.  
To show his acceptance of the Lord Marshall's authority by submitting his body to the Lord Marshall's whims; be they fucking Vaako's ass with his tongue or sparring against him until Vaako is bleeding from a multitude of cuts ready to drop.  
Riddick seems to derive equal, bestial pleasure from both leaving Vaako a wreck and utterly captivated in the bargain.  
Purification should allow him to keep his calm, suffer everything the Lord Marshall throws at him with equability, but even its icy coolness cannot stand against a bored Lord Marshall. 

For some reason, Vaako doesn't want to explore too closely, he finds himself unwilling to be mounted like a bitch this morning. He forces himself to reach back and push Riddick away, pry the animal's hands off his ass and start struggling when Riddick tries to pull him back.  
After a brief tussle the Lord Marshall lets him go; when Vaako turns fully to look at him, the animal is sitting back on his hunches on the bed edge head cocked like one of his pets studying Vaako with those strange eyes. Vaako half expects Riddick to lick his chops as he tries to figure out why he's being refused all of a sudden. Facing the Lord Marshall, Vaako curiously find that he doesn't know how to proceed; should he simply demand...or try to seduce the animal into doing what he wants? 

"Just ask..." 

Riddick leans forward, transfers his weight fluidly forward to land on hands and knees letting his torso sway for a moment then starting to crawl forward: the bed is large enough for Vaako to actually feel stalked as the Lord Marshall circles across the bed. 

"All you need to do is ask Vaako." 

Vaako jerks away when Riddick lunges forward licking over Vaako's ankle bone then pulls away leaving Vaako undecided between following and pulling away further. 

"Come on! We don't have all day..." 

Vaako is usually better at making decisions, but then usually they aren't about what 'he' wants. Necromongers should be focused on the ultimate goal and how to achieve it, not on baser urges. 

"I...want to watch you when fucking." 

Waiting for Riddick's reaction to his request is like being subjected to the Quasi-Dead; he's getting stared at like Riddick can see inside Vaako's mind if he keeps it up long enough. 

"That all? Ya don't want much do ya?" 

Another lunge faster than the first ends with Vaako's ankle in Riddick's hand, a brand on his cooler flesh, and Vaako gets dragged back to the middle of the bed to end up with the Lord Marshall looming over him. The urge to apologize makes Vaako squirm in the animal's grasp, but not hard enough to get away again. 

"Didn't think you cared one way or another..." 

Riddick nuzzles at Vaako's throat, mouths at the bruises he's already left on Vaako's skin.  
The Lord Marshall makes himself comfortable between Vaako's legs again, pushes and prods until Vaako wraps his legs around Riddick's waist. Riddick's arms are caging him in; Vaako can see the muscles working to keep Riddick's weight suspended above him. Vaako can't help reaching out to trace the contours of them up towards the broad shoulders.  
It's hard to read Riddick's expression; the silver eyes show no pupils and all the years on the run have made him unlikely to show any emotions except for rage and boredom. A weird smile plays across Riddick's face as he leans down, bumps their foreheads together and nuzzles at Vaako's ear. 

"Mine!" 

Vaako moans finally letting the sound escape at the sensations evoked in him between Riddick's whisper and being entered. Riddick fucks into him slow and steady, less frantic than usual and far more...personal. Vaako can't look away from the silver gaze; only slide his hands further up until he can lock them behind Riddick's neck. There is an unfamiliar urge for closeness and Vaako realizes that he's exerting pressure; trying to force Riddick down so that their bodies can slide against each other. 

Their mouths are inches apart; Vaako only needs to lift his head to lock them together, try to figure out yet again why the Lord Marshall is so fixated on taste.  
Riddick groans into the kiss, their tongues twisting around each other, torsos plastered together. Vaako feels fever hot by now, lost is the pleasure of the flesh barely aware of propriety any longer only the drive for satisfaction urges him on. He isn't sure when or how he manages to flip them, only registers that all of a sudden he's on top sinking deeper onto the cock inside him as he braces against Riddick's shoulders pinning him to the bed. 

Vaako studies Riddick's face trying to see if this is acceptable; Riddick's lips are twisted in a crooked, almost soft smile, his hands find Vaako's hips resting there without exerting pressure simply holding on, waiting for whatever Vaako chooses to do it seems. Getting his knees under him Vaako raises himself some then lets his body drop again, groans at the pleasure of the now deeper invasion. He experiments with weight distribution until he's receiving the maximum amount of pleasure for every thrust, makes an effort to raise himself almost off the cock inside him before letting himself drop again and again. His muscles start to make themselves known; Riddick's fingers dig in deeper to keep a grip on Vaako's sweat slick skin. Under Vaako's hands Riddick's muscles are tight, through the haze of pleasure the thought breaks through that it's because of the effort Riddick has to make to keep from thrusting up into Vaako's body, to keep from taking over. Vaako can't help the grin that bares his teeth; he digs his nails into the muscle he's been bracing against, claws welts down the broad chest resolved to break Riddick's self control. Riddick's hands side up to Vaako's ribs, up to his back to pull Vaako down until they are flush again chest slipping against chest as they pant into each other's mouths. 

"Mine..." 

The word shocks Vaako as it leaves his mouth; it isn't his place to claim possession...but it feels right, it feels necessary. Vaako bites at Riddick's bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, licks the salty liquid away, swallows a part of the Lord Marshall down. Riddick follows when Vaako pulls away, takes his mouth to chase the taste of his own blood on Vaako's tongue. 

"Fucking finally..." 

Riddick grumbles against Vaako's mouth, grabs Vaako's hips and starts thrusting up, taking over, rutting into Vaako again. It seems that Riddick has been waiting for something and Vaako has finally managed to give it to him whatever it is.  
Vaako lands on his back again, his knees pressed wide, ass up on Riddick's thighs, moaning for more and clawing at Riddick's back trying to pull him closer.  
Riddick's hand returns to Vaako's cock, squeezing and pulling at the hard flesh until Vaako is gasping for breath; coming and painting both their chests with his seed. Riddick fucks him through the orgasm and then as Vaako is pliant and oversensitive under him to his own completion.  
They collapse in a tangle panting and clutching, mouths still roaming along the slick skin. Fuzzily Vaako remembers that he was supposed to be somewhere, but he's pinned under the Lord Marshall again who looks suspiciously like he's fallen asleep again or at least has dedicated himself to faking it convincingly. 

He decides that the other commanders can come get him if they have need of him. The Lord Marshall has staked his claim and their leader's desires take precedent above the needs of the underlings.  
Behind him Vaako can hear shuffling then a rough muzzle presses against his shoulder. The hounds are back chirping at them, then when they don't get shooed away climbing up to make themselves comfortable next to them. A cold nose is pressed against his ankle and Vaako feels the urge to complain for the first time since the first purification. Raising his head he looks down at the hounds who only wiggles closer and lay their heads on his shin not meeting his eyes. Against his throat he can feel Riddick's amusement.  
Vaako wonders what he's done to deserve this.


	2. Chapter 2

“So tell me Vaako: how old are you anyway?”

The question breaks his concentration.  
Vaako doesn’t move an inch, doesn’t give any indication that his attention has been drawn away from the cryo-sleep rotation schedules he’s been working on for the last hour. He refuses to give the Lord Marshall the satisfaction of knowing that he’s managed to score another point in their game of out stubborning each other. So far Vaako has managed to stay ahead while working: he had even managed not to look up when Riddick had decided to test out Vaako’s favorite pulse rifle right there in his office instead of taking it to the range.  
The blast had taken out a wall and several nobles that had been hanging around in the hall in the hope of drawing the Lord Marshall’s attention. Vaako had kept reading through the daily reports as the dust settled and several metal shards imbedded themselves in the table top an inch from his hand.

All that effort going to waste due to a simple question every breeder can answer without thinking, but one a Necromonger never hears. Since he had become Purified age had been so irrelevant, that he’s lost all concept of it over the years. Fully distracted from his work by the calculation necessary to answer, Vaako spins his chair to face the creature lounging in the corner of the office.  
Riddick is sprawled across two delicate chairs the same way he sprawls on the throne when he’s forced to grant audiences to his subjects. Where the pose intimidates most people, Vaako mostly finds himself annoyed by it and on a few occasions aroused.

“I have been Purified for eighty years.” He can’t remember how old he was before that. Clearly he must have been of age to be taken, but what the exact age might have been…he can’t even begin to speculate.

“Quite spry for a grandpa aren’t ya?” Riddick jumps to his feet to stalk a circle around Vaako making him feel like he’s an exhibit at the zoo. He can feel the Lord Marshall’s breath across his ear and has to ignore the urge to turn and face the threat that’s making the spot between his shouldblades itch.  
Riddick pulls Vaako’s braids to the side, and Vaako considers cutting them off for at least the twentieth time in the last rotation alone, to mouth at the skin of Vaako’s neck.  
“You’ve had no cause to complain my Lord.” He wonders if the comment is supposed to riddle him or if it’s an example of Riddick’s sense of humor. Vaako has tried to understand it, being exposed to it the most out of all the commanders unfortunately the sense of it escapes him more often than not. The Lord Marshall stops gnawing at Vaako’s neck, but doesn’t let go of his braids holding onto two of them like a leash. “Do Necro’s actually age? I get that you guys don’t breed, but you don’t have geriatrics running around either.”

Vaako leans as far back in the chair as he can manage hoping to subtly pull his hair out of Riddick’s grasp. Riddick perches on the edge of the table, pokes at the tablets Vaako has been working on but doesn’t seem all that interested in the content. Vaako has to wonder why Riddick prefers to sneak glances at the reports and reading along over Vaako’s shoulder to actual asking the things he wants to know.

“Only the strong survive Purification. Past a certain age the process taxes the system of the supplicant too much, as it should; since most to be converted are to be soldiers. If more supplicants would survive, they would simply raise the percentage of soldiers who perish on campaign.” He reaches for his tablet and closes down the files he’s been working on as he talks. As rare as it is for Riddick to take an interest in his subjects, Vaako doesn’t want to distract him.

“That doesn’t exactly answer the question does it?” The full weight of Riddick’s bulk lands in Vaako’s lap making him swallow a grunt and force his hands to stay on the armrests instead of going to check on the location of Riddick’s shives.  
Vaako can feel the bigger ones still in their holsters strapped to Riddick’s thighs, but he would have to skim his hands across the Lord Marshall’s flanks and back to check for the smaller ones that are usually strapped to the breeder’s body when outside of his personal chambers. Instead of indulging his paranoia, he finally settles on putting his hands on Riddick’s ass.  
Gritting his teeth against the annoyance of having to look up to meet Riddick’s eyes through the goggles Vaako muses, “If you want a proper answer, it would make more sense to ask the Archivers or the Physicians, perhaps even the Head Purifier. I can only tell you what I have observed; those who are Purified heal faster, cannot get any sicknesses and rarely feel any pain making them harder to kill. They are still living who have not yet earned the privilege of death, but are mortal and can be granted this boon at any moment. Of course the Lord Marshall, once he completes his pilgrimage to the Underverse, is a different entity entirely, and there are the Quasi-Dead…” Riddick nods along as Vaako talks, but starts to grin as Vaako tries to formulate a proper explanation for something he’s never had to think about.

“I still ain’t going to get Purified, and I’d ghost the psychic corpses in a heartbeat if they didn’t come so handy during planetary assaults.” As far as Vaako is concerned, a killer shouldn’t sulk. Yet he is reluctantly charmed in an irritating sort of way by Riddick’s reaction to not being able to kill the creatures they rely on for fleet communications and tools of interrogation. He’s mostly sure that on the whole the Lord Marshall sees the benefit of this secure way of internal communication the Quasi-Dead provide, but he still laments not being able to kill their telepaths every chance he gets. 

Getting a crick in his neck from having to look up, and with his body starting to make demands it really shouldn’t with all the work that still needs to be done before the end of the first shift Vaako considers dumping the Lord Marshall on the floor. Riddick is grinding his ass down on Vaako’s lap as he shifts around to keep his balance and for an instant Vaako is tempted to throw his responsibilities over in favor of indulging Riddick’s whims, again.  
As if reading Vaako’s mind, Riddick chooses that moment to bend down to nip at Vaako’s lips.

“I would not dare to repeat a suggestion my Lord has repeatedly told me to shove where the start do not shine.” He follows as Riddick straightens up to leave a red mark on Riddick’s jaw, and lets the man feel how hard he’s gotten during their conversation. Riddick answers with a growl and a jerk on Vaako’s braids; he can almost imagine what is on the Lord Marshall’s mind only to be surprised.  
“So which one of the sawbones we got is the most in the know?”

Sometimes Vaako wonders if Riddick isn’t deliberately feeding his assumptions just to be able to do the complete opposing just to spite him. The Necromonger fleet has little need of doctors; they benefit far more from bio-engineering technicians who keep the Lensors running and can take care of the Quasi-Dead. There are a few on the troop transports to take care of the minor injuries on the soldiers, but the Basilica carries mostly nobles and the Icons; it is not a place where physician Vaako would trust to answer the Lord Marshall’s questions properly can be found.

True physicians being a delicate issue with the faith, they are scares and smart commanders keep them below the notice of their superiors. Ordering one of them to the Basilica seems counterproductive, as Vaako doesn’t want them to come to the nobles’ attention either.  
Unfortunately he needs to arrange something if only to keep the Lord Marshall from deciding to wander around asking questions on his and leaving bodies in his wake.

“You would have to visit one of the troop transports since you dislike making use of the Quasi-Dead. The Armageddon can be signaled closer so it will only take an hour or two for the shuttle to reach it…” The only physician Vaako might bring himself to trust the Lord Marshall to without extensive preparation is on the small frigate.  
“Two hours of being stuck in a shuttle with nothing to do huh? Sounds like fun.” The return of the lecherous tone irritates Vaako enough to stand as he reaches for his tablet, finally dumping his Lord Marshall onto the floor.  
“You misunderstand my Lord, I will not be joining you; both of us on such a journey would present a target that might prove a bit too tempting for the Lords and Ladies remaining behind, no matter where their support lies.” He half expects to end up on the floor in retaliation, but gets pushed back into the chair instead with Riddick getting comfortable between Vaako’s legs, his elbows on Vaako’s knees.  
“And while we’re at it: I want all the files you have on Furya.” Riddick’s fingers play with Vaako’s belt, almost distracting enough for Vaako to not comprehend the magnitude of the casual question. 

Fortunately Vaako has been expecting a version of this question for several rotations now now; the word ‘Furya’ and all associated with it focus his attention no matter his state.  
“Have the Lord Marshall’s personal files not brought satisfaction?” Vaako grates as the Lord Marshall nuzzles at his groin, reading Vaako’s mood and state of arousal in his sent. Vaako tries to ignore the fastenings of his trousers being loosened and not to enjoy the sensation of Riddick’s breath on his skin.  
“You have them right? Cause no one else seems to since Zhylow went through all the memory banks and wiped all references. Not like there are people I can ask are there? Even your last Head Purifier ghosted himself the moment he got the chance.”  
Vaako’s fingers brace against the side of Riddick’s head, nails scratching across slick skin eliciting a purr that vibrates across his cock. The Lord Marshall’s tongue wraps around the head of Vaako’s cock destroying all though as it rubs just below the glands then goes back up to probe at the slit at the tip sending electricity up Vaako’s spine as he bluffs, “Why would I have this information if, as you say, even the main archives no longer possess it?” It’s not easy to sound casual while teeth scrape across his shaft and a sharp suck make his growl in warning. He is not in the mood to be sexually assaulted while getting interrogated, especially not on this particular subject. 

While he can do nothing but approve of the Lord Marshall taking an interest in Necromonger history and biology, even if he can’t yet discern the reason for this interest, he can’t say the same about the question of Furya.  
Taking interest in the ways and history of his people can only bind Riddick tighter to the Necromongers and their cause and perhaps in time even open his eyes to the rightness of their faith, but giving him access to the history of his own people, Vaako can see nothing beneficial coming out of Riddick’s search for his roots.  
A bite on his thigh almost breaks skin and draws Vaako’s attention to the Lord Marshall, where it should have been already. Riddick is frowning up at him, questions obvious behind a façade of displeasure as he goes back to licking Vaako’s cock. Vaako closes his eyes unwilling to pay attention to those questions; instead he gives into the pleasures of the agile tongue and sharp teeth on his flesh until they disappear.

“I want those files Vaako!” He does not hear the words, but feels them on his skin followed by another bite this time right above his cock.  
“I don’t have them,” his arousal assists in hiding the lie from the Lord Marshall’s acute senses. Vaako takes advantage of it, spreading his legs wider to draw Riddick closer, distract him completely from his line of questioning. By the look on Riddick’s face it isn’t working, “why would I have files the Lord Marshall has personally ordered destroyed?” His cock is turning painful with need that Riddick isn’t fulfilling; instead the annoying animal sits back on his heels and bats away Vaako’s hands when he tries to take care of the matter himself.  
“You tell me, why would you have them?” It takes all the self-control Vaako possesses not to kick out at his Lord Marshall, not to pin him down on the floor and fuck Riddick’s mouth until the grin disappears and Vaako is fulfilled. “Stop bullshitting Vaako! And I might give you what you want.”

Taking would make more sense than asking: both for Riddick to acquire the files he wants and for Vaako to get his pleasure after all that is what the Necromonger faith demands. Vaako finds that he isn’t quite ready to kill Riddick over the lack of sexual satisfaction, and Riddick it seems does not want to be rid of Vaako either.  
His body’s reactions to his Lord Marshall are unseemly; they make Vaako wonder if it isn’t long past time to visit the Purification chambers again. He can’t remember how long it has been since so much confusion was part of his life.  
Certainly it had been before his union with the Dame.

“I am unaware of any bullshit my Lord, if I could produce them at this moment I would do so.” Vaako wraps his hand around the back of the Lord Marshall’s head, his fingers teasing at the hollow where spine meets skull while pushing Riddick’s head back into his lap, “as is, all I can offer you is lack of protest while you entertain yourself.”

An amused snort is his only answer, but Riddick does go back to licking him until Vaako has to bite his lip to not give voice to his pleasure. Riddick still teases, lets his teeth scrape a bit too sharply to be truly comfortable while sending shocks of arousal through Vaako’s system. He comes, leaving bloody crescents on the back of Riddick’s neck and wishing that the room was darker so he wouldn’t have to try reading Riddick without seeing the man’s eyes.  
Vaako watches him rise to lean against the table looking pleased but making no effort to demand reciprocation despite being blatantly aroused.  
Instead he grabs Vaako’s tablet from the table and shoves it at him as soon as Vaako has put his clothing to order.  
“Make arrangements for me to visit that sawbones of yours.” Riddick wanders out of the room, leaving Vaako behind with questions he lacks the experience to answer. He contacts the Armageddon by rote ordering it to come closer and signals to the shuttlebay to ready a craft as soon as the other vessel is in range, then goes back to the reports he was trying to get done before Riddick distracted him.

Vaako doesn’t bother to go and watch the shuttle depart after the signal comes that the Armageddon is in range. Instead he takes advantage of the free time to do several inspections he hasn’t managed to get around to with the Lord Marshall almost constantly demanding his attention.  
His men are certainly pleased to see him again; they are hard at work and training.  
Vaako is pleased to find they still loyal to him despite having a new commander.  
The sub-commander in question glares hard enough for Vaako to feel the itch of it on his back, but doesn’t attack even when a potentially opportune moment presents itself. Vaako watches him and his sergeants sneaking glances at the marks that still decorate Vaako’s throat; the indentations of teeth that circle the purification marks and the livid bruises that circle Vaako’s neck almost like a collar are clearly visible without his armor to hide them.  
Riddick’s marks are not civilized tokens of interest or gifts demonstrating a suitor’s worth; Riddick leaves bites and bruises on Vaako’s skin and his sent in Vaako’s pores so deep even a sonic shower can’t erase it completely. While most Necromongers do not have the heightened senses needed to become aware how much Vaako stinks of their Lord Marshall at any given moment, some might start to suspect if Riddick’s interest lasts. Sometimes Vaako wonders what the Lensors would see now, should they ever be aimed at him. 

Vaako is painfully aware how far from the faith Riddick manages to make him stray by demanding that Vaako attends him constantly. He can’t help tensing as he waits for a blade between his shoulder blades from someone who takes offence at either his lapse of faith or is jealous of the attention his Lord Marshall pays him.  
Vaako tells himself that he would be equally pleased to have his Lord Marshall only turn to him for counsel and nothing else…But just the thought of seeing Riddick amusing himself with someone else sours Vaako’s mood as he stalks back to the command center to check in with the Armageddon. The frigate seems to be in one piece despite his Lord Marshall’s presence so Vaako has no choice but to retreat to what’s supposed to be his Lord Marshall’s office for a few more peaceful hours of administrative duties.  
He had taken possession of the Lord Marshall’s private work room as soon as it became clear that nothing would get done otherwise, it had the added bonus of being the one room in the whole Basilica Riddick seemed to be actively avoiding at that time so Vaako had thought to be able to work in peace there, until the Lord Marshall decided to start keeping him company.

The chime of an incoming transmission draws Vaako’s attention away from the reports.  
The face that appears on the screen beamed from the Armageddon by means of a regular communications array, Vaako didn’t expect to see even after inflicting the Lord Marshall on the owner. The woman might not have wrinkles to accompany her silver hair, but she has enough scars to compensate. The hair is cut warrior short even thou Vaako knows that she hasn’t been a warrior since before her conversion to Necromonger, her lips twisted into a smirk by a thick scar.  
She had been a great teacher when Vaako was just a foot soldier freshly Purified and still finding his faith. He remembers her clunking around the sparse medical facilities only slightly hindered by a chunky leg prosthetic that must have been ancient when she was young, lecturing the recovering soldiers to use their heads for more than targets no matter how confident Purification made them feel.  
After he was promoted Vaako had remembered her skill and drawn as many of his personal troops from the men on the Armageddon as he could get away with without drawing notice confident that they would be the ones to serve him, and the fleet best.  
In a way, Vaako supposes, physician Vos was one of the first allies Vaako made in his new life. He checks his tablet to see the shuttle has started its journey back towards the Basilica.

“Why did you send me a sub-adult Furyan First among Commanders? Surely there are people better qualified to answer the Lord Marshall’s questions than me on Basilica.”  
Vaako grimaces and has to wonder how he’s managed to surround himself with people without any basic sense of propriety, “Sub-adult? A juvenile? He is…?”  
She chuckles at his shock, “Quite an interesting race Furyans: their bodies matured fast to deal with the harsh conditions on their world. This was particularly apparent in their Alpha’s as you have no doubt noticed. Mentally…I suspect he is almost fully developed, but full maturity will only come once a Furyan takes a mate if I remember correctly.” She laughs outright when Vaako can’t quite control his expression at the revelation and has to make an effort not to gape in shock.  
Shutting down the shock and agitation, he tells himself that as the Lord Marshall is a breeder this information shouldn’t come as a surprise; the whole point of breeder’s lives is the acquisition of progeny after all. Displeasure shoots through him at the thought of being replaced for the sake of the satisfaction of a biological impulse that would not be present if Riddick submitted to Purification.  
“There are no females to bear young here and there certainly are no Furyan females anywhere accessible Zhylow made sure of that. Will this affect his adversely?” They do not need a Lord Marshall who will weaken unexpectedly for no useful reason. Vaako doesn’t relish the prospect of having to explain to the faithful that yet another Lord Marshall has succumb to something that should not have had any effect on the leader of their faith. Females can be acquired in the next campaign, but justifying their unconverted presence in the Basilica will be impossible…  
“Females? Why would you need breeder females on the Basilica sir?” Her confusion makes Vaako wonder if he hasn’t misunderstood something during their conversation.  
“You said the Lord Marshall will need to take a mate?”  
She snorts with amusement, “I have always thought you to be smarter than this sir. Now I would almost believe your former Dame’s claim that she was responsible for your rise through the ranks…” He interrupts her before she can go on having no need to be reminded of his former marriage.  
“Why would a breeder mate if not to have young? What would be the point?” As far as he can see that is the only motivation most unconverted concerns themselves with. He’s seen it on all the planets the fleet has visited over the years; males and females clinging to each other with gaggles of young screaming around them.  
“The point?” She echoes with a frown. He expects her to say more, perhaps explain why she doesn’t seem to agree with his conclusions. But Vos only arches a brow then shakes her head. “If you know of any information regarding the Furyans remaining I would suggest you read it, sir.”  
He glares at Vos for the audacity, and then concentrates on what he really needs.

“What did the Lord Marshall want to know?”

“Questions he’s better served asking the Purifiers or should already know by now; the effect of the conversion on various species of human, our biomechanical adaptations…I am not sure which answers the Lord Marshall was looking for.” Vos would certainly have noticed that the Lord Marshall isn’t Purified, it’s not possible to overlook the fact.  
Vaako is relieved that he doesn’t have to give an explanation for this as he has none outside of the Lord Marshall’s reluctance; a reluctance that cannot be under the rules of their faith. 

“Shall I pass on that you will be available to answer more questions should they arise?” As invested as Vos is in the soldiers…he isn’t sure if he’s ready to trust her fully with the Lord Marshall without his supervision, as indirect as it was with the interview taking place on a different ship. 

“Whatever my Lord Marshall wants, as always…” She bows at the screen, “and good luck in your new position.” With those cryptic words she cuts the transmission and Vaako is left alone with his thoughts.

The Lord Marshall must take a mate.  
A stray undisciplined part of Vaako questions why he can’t be the one to occupy the position.  
An absurd notion in many ways; being male makes his unsuitable, Riddick’s unwillingness to commit to their ways makes him a risk Vaako isn’t willing to take.  
He considers pulling the files on Furya from where he hid them after Zhylow’s order to delete all information on the planet and its people. They might shed some light on Riddick’s actions or at least explain some of Riddick’s behaviors and what his Lord Marshall will require when he starts looking for a consort.

Perversely he wants to know how the mating happens: considering the Lord Marshall’s nature it can be nothing other than a violent spectacle. His mind flashes back to Riddick’s pleasure the moment Vaako accidently bit his lip drawing blood.  
Vaako isn’t sure if it is a liking for the taste of blood on Riddick’s part or if he bites on instinct to leave evidence of possession; a claim that cannot be washed off the body.  
The mating certainly cannot be something dignified like an exchange of torques that is customary for Necromongers forming an alliance.

Vaako wonders how long he has to ‘enjoy’ his Lord Marshall’s bed, before Riddick turns to proper prospects among his people or tries to run. He needs time to design a contingency plan to make sure that the Necromongers do not lose their Lord, not to the Underverse but to base instinct he should no longer have. He will not be the one who undermines the Necromonger faith by loosing it’s beacon when it could be prevented.

The Necromonger teachings say nothing on the subject of a Lord Marshall’s sanity, only on the subject of competency where cleansing the universe is concerned. As well as Vaako knows the teachings, he can’t recall any requirements to the maturity of any who challenge for the position.  
There are many reasons not to take sub-adults as converts; they rarely survive Purification and scripture says that those who do are creatures even the Underverse cannot embrace easily.  
As is Vaako has seen enough soldiers high on their seeming invincibility end up only useful for Lensor parts after only one deployment that thinking of sub-dults added to the ranks always leaves him annoyed. 

Has Riddick’s refusal to be Purified been motivated by an instinct he wasn’t even aware of following? They have finally turned in the direction of the Threshold at Vaako’s insistence some rotations ago, it will still take quite some time to get there but at least they are heading in the right direction. Unfortunately all the time available doesn’t seem to be enough to get the Lord Marshall to act like the example he is supposed to be for his people.

And after all, Furyans have been Purified before: the former Head Purifier had turned out to be one according to Riddick, chances are some of the better soldiers were Furyans as well, they were Purified without difficulty once they submitted.  
Vaako tries to ignore that all Furyans who were Purified had probably been adults.  
They had been converted on a multitude of planets long before Zhylow started his campaign, and what Vaako can still recollect of Furyans from the files suggests that they only send adults off plant to provide and earn for those who stayed behind.  
No sub-adult could have been captured before the slaughter of the entire race made it possible.  
Yet another reason for him to retrieve the files, another question that must be answered if Vaako is to make the correct decisions regarding Riddick.  
Furyans had always been strange creatures: secretive and solitary, refusing to have anything to do with the other humans unless absolutely necessary. They had been warriors for hire mercenaries of excellent skills and always rumored to be able to perform feats no other race could master.  
Compared to the rumors of his race’s potential, Riddick is just a very efficient killer only trained to be one by the standards of the rest of the human species on par with a purified Necromonger certainly but not using his full potential as one of Furya, Vaako is almost certain of this now that he considers the Lord Marshall in light of the new information.

The question now becomes; if Vaako will manage to keep his files from the Lord Marshall while still giving himself easy access to them. As long as he keeps them buried, he’s sure that Riddick will not manage to get at the data, but as soon as it’s out in the open even if only for a couple of hours.  
Riddick’s sense of timing has so far been spectacularly unhelpful.  
The more he thinks about it, the more likely Vaako considers the chance that should Riddick be provided with the information about his place of origin Riddick will go off on a wild goose chase across the universe in search of a dead planet.  
Not, Vaako decides, where the Necromongers need him at all, certainly not now that they have finally turned towards the Threshold…

His tablet blinks, a massage coming through that the Lord Marshall’s shuttle has docked.  
Vaako composes his thoughts and puts his planning on hold in case Riddick demands his presence at once. There is still a little time to maneuver especially with no one who could qualify as a Furyan mate on board the Basilica as far as Vaako can see. He strangles the impulse to go to the shuttlebay to see what Riddick thinks of his outing; instead he concentrates on his administrative duties again.  
After all, if the Lord Marshall wants Vaako’s presence sooner or later he always comes looking. 

Vaako looks up from his work when the notification signifying the change to the second shift pops up on the screen of his tablet. He has been working steadily for more than five hours without the Lord Marshall’s interference: an unprecedented occurrence that makes Vaako uneasy. He finishes up and puts away the various tablets unwilling to give anyone the impression that he might be concerned.  
The conversation with Vos still preys on his mind, not that anyone will know unless they have monitored the transmissions to the Lord Marshall’s office and even then Vaako isn’t sure if anyone will piece together the situation fast enough to do any damage. Knowing the way the nobles think, he doubts that any of them have though to bug the purely technological means of communication. 

Riddick is sprawled on the throne moodily staring at the nobles as they are menaced by the hellhounds winding their way through and around the crowd when Vaako locates him. Vaako can’t see any bodies littering the floor in front of the daze, but then having just entered he might have missed their removal. The Lord Marshall doesn’t see the point to nobles; he doesn’t consider keeping of the tenants of the faith a priority and so Vaako has to listen to complaints every time Riddick can’t resist the impulse to kill.

Usually the Lord Marshall looks happier after feeding one or two nobles to the hellhounds, or having kill them himself, instead he looks almost angry something Vaako hasn’t seen since the death of the girl. There are more concubines present than usual, maybe because of his absence. That makes Vaako hesitate wondering why he expected to be sought out as soon as the Lord Marshall was back on the Basilica.

Getting used to Riddick’s circling and constant demands for attention as annoying as they have been might not have been for the best. He shouldn’t have let his discipline lax so far that he wants the annoyance back.

The desire is a weakness he should be above.  
Necromongers do not get attacked like breeders; they form alliances that come to their proper end when no longer useful, they indulge in desires of the flesh where they please and don’t expect fidelity in weakness.

The need for a reason to keep Riddick at his side feels alien to his nature and every teaching he’s held to since his conversion. Yet there the urge is itching under his skin and making the muscles in his jaw twitch as he tightens his control. Stepping from the doorway, he circles through the shadows until he clears the crowd and can approach the daze.  
The hellhounds purr in greeting, come up to butt their heads against his legs then go back to keeping the nobles away. He takes two steps until he doesn’t have to look up quite as far and bows his head for formalities’ sake. 

“My Lord, I trust your trip was satisfactory?” Usually he can feel Riddick’s eyes on him already even through the goggles, yet he feels nothing except for the discontent radiating off the Lord Marshall like heat. Riddick doesn’t demand he come closer either so Vaako is stuck in limbo with whispers starting behind his back.  
He’s ready to turn away when Riddick finally deigns to respond, “Something like that, interesting sawbones, wasted on such a little ship.”

The mocking tone doesn’t invite further inquiry on any other attempt at conversation.  
It grates on Vaako’s nerves along with the Lord Marshall’s refusal to look at him.  
Still, tradition dictates that he remain where he is until getting dismissed, make a spectacle of himself until it pleases the Lord Marshall orders him away.  
Vaako’s mood sours as he stands there with everyone’s but Riddick’s attention on his person until he can’t stand the insult any longer.  
Turning on his heels Vaako ignores the rising volume of the whispers and stalks out of the throne room. 

The tumult inside him is a definite sign that he’s left it too long between Purifications. A side effect of spending all his time in the Lord Marshall’s company no doubt. While he doesn’t think his faith to be affected permanently, his body has obviously suffered under the constant assaults and demands made on it by the animalistic breeder.

Considering the hour Vaako decides against going straight to the Purifiers.  
First shift will come soon enough, then he will be rested and fewer people will be about to see him go.

He could retrieve the files on Furya, give them to the Lord Marshall to…Vaako shuts down that line of thought as soon as he realizes exactly what he’s contemplating. It’s clear that he does need the files and soon, but even contemplating giving them to the Lord Marshall just to keep his attention beyond its natural end…Vaako decides that he’ll sooner challenge Riddick than give him the files in appeasement.

Riddled up and with unexpected time on his hands Vaako heads back to the troop barracks to join in with evening training and to share the meal with several commanders he has worked closely with in the past for the rest of the evening.  
When none of it remains Vaako is left with an unexpected dilemma of his sleeping arrangements. He hasn’t visited his own chambers in several rotations, not since the Lord Marshall had decided he wanted Vaako in his bed on a nightly basis. The rooms are bare and silent, echoing with his footsteps as he moves around. Mercifully not all of his clothing has migrated into the Lord Marshall’s chambers, having to done his armor in the morning because he lacks other garments would have been unfortunate considering the gossip that must be going around already.  
Vaako frowns at the vanity that’s the only remaining memento of his former Dame’s existence.  
He traces the edge of it with the tip of his finger and wonders how amused she would have been at his current predicament. While examining the ornate metal, he makes sure not to meet his own eyes in the mirror.

The bed is colder than he’s had to get used to of late and too wide without other occupants crowding him from all sides. He holds on to his promise to get Purified in the morning with an iron grip, it really has been far too long. He should have gone several rotations ago despite the Lord Marshall’s silent objection. The strange impulses and unwanted sensations wouldn’t be plaguing him now if he had.  
Vaako falls asleep while still contemplating his faith.

He isn’t sure what wakes him, but he knows for sure that he is no longer alone in his rooms. His hand, already under the pillow next to the hiding spot, closes around the hilt of the blade. Vaako keeps his muscles loose while straining his senses to locate the intruder. It doesn’t take long for a shift in the air to indicate that whoever dared to enter his chambers has approached the bed.  
Two steady breaths later Vaako swings out, the blade making an arch behind his back sending a flash of pleasure through him as it catches on something. Following through on the motion he rolls away getting to his feet with the bed between them ready to attack again.

Across from him Riddick pokes at the shallow wound across his lower arm.  
Silver eyes glow in the dark, impossible to read while Vaako can’t see the rest of the Lord Marshall’s face. He resists the urge to call for the lights; without the goggles it would at the very least annoy Riddick into slowing down slightly and at worst pain him enough that Vaako gains a greater chance at survival. 

“Cranky bastard without your beauty sleep aren’t you?” The silver eyes disappear and Riddick growls at the controls for the lights to turn on. The lamps provide just enough light for Vaako to see the wound properly; a mere scratch considering the blade could have been poisoned. He watches as Riddick brings his arm up to lick along the gash cleaning the wound like the animal he is.  
The action makes Vaako’s cock twitch unexpectedly and sends a frission of annoyance down his spine. Something slams into the door of his chambers almost distracting him from the Lord Marshall frowning down at him. Confusingly Riddick doesn’t look like he to plans on attacking any time soon, no aggression in his posture only irritation.

Wondering if he hasn’t made a mistake Vaako drops to his knees presenting his knife to the Lord Marshall in apology. He had thought that after his dismissal earlier in the throne room he would have been replaced already; expected Riddick to be entertaining himself with one of the concubines who had been on display for him by now.  
Instead the Lord Marshall is invading his chambers, it’s not behavior that Vaako can even attempt to explain and that unnerves him.

“My Lord? I do not understand?” Asking grates on his nerves, but he isn’t sure that he’s up to playing the Lord Marshall’s usual games unbalanced as he’s feeling.  
The Purification is only a few hours away, if he can keep his discipline until then…

“Figured since my bed’s no good all of a sudden I’d come try yours. Didn’t expect to be cut, but if that’s your game…” Riddick stalks across the room until Vaako has to crane his neck to keep looking the Lord Marshall in the eyes.

“I…assumed my Lord would be…otherwise occupied.” Since Vaako had displeased the Lord Marshall for some reason, perhaps failed him in some way he was yet to realize. The rumble that leaves Riddick’s throat could be a laugh or a growl; it’s impossible to tell, he drops to his knees and twists the knife out of Vaako’s hand.  
Their chests pressed together, Vaako can feel Riddick’s mouth on his ear and Riddick’s voice rumbling down his spine, “Unless I throw you out myself, don’t assume…” The knife is dragged across Vaako’s throat; Riddick uses the blade to caress him while getting comfortable in Vaako’s lap, “don’t make me come get you again.”  
Vaako’s body has grown far too predictable in its response to Riddick’s proximity. The combination of the cold blade on one side and Riddick’s hot mouth on the other fractures Vaako’s already fragile control. He wraps his arms around Riddick’s shoulders, arches into Riddick’s touch and bares his throat to further exploration. 

Riddick’s mouth feels strange on Vaako’s skin; he can’t pinpoint the reason right away, not until Riddick momentarily looks up and Vaako can see the small scar on Riddick’s lower lip where Riddick had taunted him into biting some days ago. The scarring is unexpected; a small notch of pale scar tissue against olive skin that’s almost invisible unless looked for specifically.  
Vaako’s mark hidden in plain sight.  
The sight sends a wave of pleasure and arousal through his body, one that Riddick picks up with ease. Riddick licks at Vaako’s lips until he responds, only to pull away before Vaako can get a proper grip and pin him down. Back on his feet, the Lord Marshall circles Vaako’s bedroom once before disappearing towards the front room leaving Vaako sitting on the floor praying to the Underverse for strength.

The door to his chambers opens again and the clicking of claws on the floor announces the entry of the hellhounds before Riddick’s preferred honor guard comes wandering into the bedroom sniffing and growling as they explore their new territory. When they have satisfied themselves to the lack of threat the beasts get comfortable at the foot of the bed to stare at Vaako like they expect something of him. Unsurprisingly Riddick does the same; when Vaako gets up to see what the Lord Marshall is doing he is exploring Vaako’s personal armory his fingers dancing over the ornamental armor the First Among Commanders traditionally wears then runs his hands over the multi-headed axe in an almost cares. 

“Fun toy, bulky but fun…” He turns towards Vaako with a grin, “you’ll have to bring it along the next time we spar.” He pushes past Vaako back into the bedchamber dropping his clothing as he goes. The goggles are the only thinks still on his body when Riddick, knife still in hand, disappears into the bathroom.  
The water starts, an alien sound in his quarters from the moment of the Dame’s departure since Vaako has no use for the water rations he’s entitled to with sonic showers being far more efficient.

The sight, once Vaako follows, doesn’t disappoint.  
Goggles off, Riddick stands under the cascade of water his back to the door and seemingly oblivious to Vaako’s presence. Riddick’s deliberate inattention gives Vaako one of his rare opportunities to observe the Lord Marshall without getting watched in return.  
Riddick braces against the shower wall his face turned into the water, Vaako can see the muscles of his back and arms tensing and releasing most likely with the urge to turn around and face the only likely threat in the room.  
In the low lighting the water forms silver rivulets down Riddick’s back and ass then twists around his legs before reaching the floor.  
Vaako sheds his sleeping pants and steps fully into the chamber. 

“Took ya long enough,” isn’t quite an invitation to join the Lord Marshall under the water, but being acknowledged is almost the same as permission to approach under the circumstances.  
He stops with only a foot between them, almost close enough to feel Riddick’s heat, Vaako’s mouth waters with the desire to lick the water off the skin before him. The self-satisfied grin Riddick throws over his shoulder instead of turning around is almost blinding in its intensity, “scrub my back, will ya?”

Reduced to the duties of a body servant, thankfully where no one can see how far the First among Commanders has fallen. The request is yet another sign that Riddick doesn’t understand the people he is ruling or otherwise doesn’t care about the nuances of their society.  
The request would have been less damning if Vaako’s hands weren’t already itching to touch.

The cleaning agent is slick between his palms, his hands slick on Riddick’s shoulders, his fingers dig into the thick muscles and follow them down to hover over the small of Riddick’s back to hesitate and slide them back up over Riddick’s ribs. One short step and Vaako is plastered against Riddick’s back, his mouth fastened on Riddick’s neck right over the sweet spot as his hands slip and slide over Riddick’s chest and abdomen. Vaako’s teeth scrape over skin, a shiver runs down his spine as a low steady purr starts to emanate from Riddick’s chest. Riddick presses back against Vaako’s body, twists his neck shaking Vaako off to lick a stripe across his cheek. He can feel his cock swell against the Lord Marshall’s ass, has to fight the urge to thrust, to sheath himself in the Lord Marshall’s body and find satisfaction there.

It is improper to even consider it, against all tenants of the faith and societies rules.  
Such a breach of protocol would be impossible to ignore, for him and if anyone found out for everyone else as well. 

“Not very fast on the update are ya old man?” Riddick growls twisting to leave a bite mark on Vaako’s jaw. As thrilling as the thought is that the Lord Marshall might possibly want to be taken, Vaako cannot allow himself the heresy. So he ignores the taunt in favor of stepping away, pushing against the Lord Marshall’s shoulder until the man chooses to turn and allows himself to be pushed against the wall. Vaako pins him there; fills his mouth with his Lord Marshall’s skin, works his way down the powerful body falling to his knees in worship. Above him, Vaako can hear the Lord Marshall’s breathing change as he swallows Riddick’s cock.

Vaako can’t resist looking up, to see if the Lord Marshall is watching him in return.  
Silver eyes frown down on him as the Lord Marshall reaches out; wraps Vaako’s braids around his fist until Vaako has no choice but to surrender to the Lord Marshall’s will and let his mouth be used.  
Riddick is far more savage than usual; he keeps Vaako from moving away or drawing a proper breath, Vaako realizes that his hands are digging into his Lord Marshall’s thighs to keep from slipping.

The water insulates them; it muffles all sound outside of the shower until to Vaako’s oxygen starved, emotion addled brain it seems like they are the only two people in the universe. Closing his eyes Vaako gives himself over to the sensations, to Riddick’s touch, he concentrates on the flesh that fills his mouth and cuts off his breath making his jaw ache.  
He savors the clean taste and the heat under his hands and in his mouth that arouses him more than it should. 

His mouth is flooded with come unexpectedly, his eyes fly open as he swallows it and water, above him his Lord Marshall relaxes against the wall but doesn’t let go of Vaako’s hair.  
Unexpectedly Vaako finds himself waiting for orders or perhaps permission.  
He licks his lips but can’t let go of his Lord Marshall just yet, not even to finish himself off.  
“Let me see...” The words are hissed so low that he barely catches them, but they are enough for him to force one hand open, down the Lord Marshall’s leg until he has no choice but to let go and wrap his hand around his own flesh.  
He comes only after a couple a dozen strokes never looking away from silver eyes.  
When he comes, Vaako slumps forward burying his face in the Lord Marshall’s hip, as he lays there panting he feels the grip in his hair loosen.

The water covering them both disappears; Vaako traces the last of the rivulets with his tongue until he’s nudged away so that the Lord Marshall can step out of the shower. He gets off his knees, flips the switch to sonics to clean off properly, collects his knife then leaves the bathroom to walk in on the Lord Marshall reconnecting with his pets. 

The main door to his chambers are secure again, not surprising since the Lord Marshall doesn’t like surprises unless he’s the one responsible for inflicting them on other people. Vaako toys with the idea of taking one of his guns from the armory before returning to the bedroom, he’s still starring at the wall of arms when the Lord Marshall comes to collect him.  
Vaako slips the knife back into its hiding spot under the amused gaze of the Lord Marshall who pulls him in as soon as he lies down. Vaako can’t bring himself to protest; in the morning he will be Purified again and none of the emotions will matter any longer.

Vaako doesn’t need an alarm to notify him of shift change; he wakes up by habit after so many years. The Lord Marshall is still asleep when he leaves the bed.  
The hellhounds watch him go, but don’t make a sound.  
At the entrance to the Hall of Purifications Vaako reminds himself that what he’s doing is for the best; once his mind is clear he’ll be able to serve the Lord Marshall better, tame the animal and bring the man into the faith as is proper.  
Vaako never enjoys being bound into the machine; it’s a necessary evil he endures for the results it brings, but this morning he welcomes it along with the agony as the spikes that pierce his neck.  
Soon the agony and the dark promise of the Underverse overtake his mind wiping away everything impure in their path.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the plot thickens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not beta'd

 

 

Necromongers  don't feel pain.  And yet it radiates from his arms into the very center of his body hot and insistent. It calls him from the black depths he's been existing in for what seems like forever. 

"Finally awake are ya ?" The voice, he can't be hearing that voice! The voice of one who should have been welcomed into the Underverse, but was instead wasted because of Vaako's  failure. He doesn't want to open his eyes, but then he rarely wants anything these days. 

"If you're expecting the rest of the corpses to come looking for your ass, don't bother. They're probably already deciding who's going ta take you're spot  on top of the shit pile." The Necroism commandments dictate that only the one who helps the Lord Marshall to the  Underverse can be the next in line, but they have been broken before and will be broken again. Vaako isn't under any illusions any longer: he's never been one of the blessed just a placeholder until an actual Lord Marshall comes along.  Something cold slaps his cheek. The thing rests on his skin for a moment, long enough for him to feel the shape of it. Then gets pulled away leaving behind a sting: some kind of knife or blade. It returns on the other side connecting harder but not cutting.

"I know that  ya're awake, can smell it."  Is whispered in his ear, or growled maybe the words barely understandable. His sense of smell tells Vaako  that his ears are not deceiving him, not unless all of his senses have become useless. The blade returns this time to caress  Vaako's  throat. He cannot be in hell; hell is everything that is life after all. There is only the Underverse or nothingness to choose from when not in it, nor is this one of the many nightmares that have plagued him since he has returned from the Threshold. 

He doesn't want to think about the Threshold. The knife at his throat scratches along his skin in a parody of a cares. Vaako has always preferred to face his demons head on. The blinding darkness that surrounds him allows an absurd spark of hope to ignite somewhere under his breastbone.

"My Lord?" The title is passed his lips before he can swallow it, lock it up in the deepest recesses of his subconscious to rot. There are multiple reasons why his captor could be keeping him in darkness. Losing control over his words in this way is shameful, so like a besotted breeder, so weak! 

"Shouldn't I be calling ya that these days? Seeing as ya're  the head corps, hear that ya even managed the Threshold." Vaako forces his body to stay still, tightens his neck muscles and doesn't turn his head even an inch. He refuses to be so weak as to start looking around for his captor. Whoever it is they will show themselves in time,  and he will know what to do then. In the meantime he'll just have to collect as much data as possible for future use.

"I...Krone claimed he ended you. I should have...should have made sure..." Riddick has always undermined his ability to think clearly,  dead or alive doesn't really matter. The cold shock had broken through the  wall of Purification when Krone had announced having killed the Lord Marshall, it is something Vaako doesn't want to experience ever again.  

"Ya should've." His captor agrees, "Wouldn't be having this conversation if ya did." The blade disappears from Vaako's throat slamming into the wall he's propped up  against instead, only an inch or so from his ear. He jerks in his bonds, instincts screaming at him to get away warring with the knowledge that the knife won't sink into his flesh just yet. Not until Riddick's need for revenge has been satisfied. He strains against the bonds holding him to the wall, shackles of some type not heavy but solid, something keeping his legs apart as well. Remarkably he's sitting in relative comfort even considering the situation.

"Krone ...didn't exist long after his return." Parts of him still do, or did the last time Vaako had bothered to enter the throne room after returning from  the Threshold. Bits and pieces had still been hanging off the spiked columns flanking the throne. The stench or rotten flesh kept a lot of the nobles out of his way for a while. The decorations serving as a reminder that Vaako  should have left the interpretation of the faith to the Purifiers.

"Figured as much when I couldn't find 'm. Did you do it yourself or did you have another goon ghost the bastard?" Vaako jerks in his restraints, lunges forward as far as the shackles allow with a snarl in the hope of getting at Riddick, retaliating in some way for the insult. Of course Riddick doesn't know, and doesn't care that Vaako ripped his murderer apart with bare hands. He feels hot breath on his face but doesn't see anything, doesn't encounter anything either when he lunges, only hears chuckling in the dark.

"I did not plan for you to be promoted!" He resents having to explain himself. After all that he's done to keep Riddick in place, to lead him to Necroism to be accused of betrayal is insulting. If anyone was betrayed...It isn't his place to accuse, Vaako reminds himself it is all part of the price he is paying for failure. 

"Bullshit." Is growled in his face, but Vaako is too distracted by the sight of silver orbs glowing in the darkness inches from his face to even flinch at the intensity behind the curse. He pulls at the shackles again his hands itching to reach out now that he knows how close Riddick is. In the dark it's easy for sound and sight to be distorted but touch, touch is more difficult to fool. "All of you walking corpses dream about is getting ya asses on that throne!" That in a way is true, for those who hold tightest to the articles of Necroism is certainly is or should be. Vaako had believed it to be a worthy goal, until his eyes were opened.

"My Lord..." He isn't completely sure what he wants to say, irrationally the need to explain wells up from the deep recesses somewhere in the back of his mind. He wants to defend himself against the accusation Riddick has thrown at his head and all the others that are sure to follow. But he's wasted so many words on Riddick since meeting him, as if he hadn't realized from the start that only actions worked, it seems like a wasted effort now. Vaako allows himself to briefly regret not shoving the damn Furyan into the Purification Chamber by force despite the commandments against it.

"I am not your fucking lord!" Riddick roars out of the darkness. Vaako  curses his lack of night vision: seeing Riddick's face would be helpful. He wonders why he isn't dead yet: a  prisoner is useless in a migratory life that seems to be Riddick's preference...Vaako  supposed there is a chance that he will be sold into slavery: some worlds still have the practice and an actual existing Necromonger could fetch a good price. No matter what happens, Vaako will have to wait for his proper time, for the Underverse to call him no matter the conditions or the duration of the wait. He idly wonders if he'll get to see Riddick properly before being condemned. 

"Fine..." He has to fight to bite back the title, "Am I allowed to ask where I am and your plans for me?" Keeping his composure takes some effort, but the mask he's learned to done around the nobles comes in handy. Relaxing back against the wall, he letting all confusion and elation drain out of him. Surveying his mind, Vaako finds a few shards of the emptiness that lingers after each Purification drawing them close . He's always been jealous of the ones who claimed that the emptiness became more consuming for them with each Purification, that every time it lasted a little bit longer. Vaako has never been one of those lucky individuals so he has learned to pretend: he's learned to have faith without the crutch the emptiness provides. 

He doesn't get an answer, but does hear Riddick rise and footsteps disappearing out of his hearing range audible for Vaako's benefit only.  For all Vaako knows this is the answer to his question: for him to rot in the dark going mad with only his own voice and thoughts for company. Not a warrior's death but an undignified and disgraceful one dying from exposure to whichever elements surround him. It's a kind of death Vaako might devise for the worst of his enemies punishing them in this universe and the next for the crime of earning his ire, but it isn't in Riddick's nature. 

Riddick's anger has, in Vaako's  experience, always burned bright and brief like a supernova: brilliant, all consuming but never lasting. Vaako can't recall catching Riddick at thinking ahead instead of reacting even once in all the time they have spend together. Unfortunately his current predicament proves that he'd been wrong to think that Riddick incapable of the complexities of strategy outside of survival.  Only time will tell how much he' s underestimated the Furyan, it's the only luxury Vaako has left for the moment. 

In the dark time doesn't forge ahead, it crawls like a wounded animal. Vaako considers trying to free himself, but deems it a wasted effort while unsure of even the shape of the space he's in. He doesn't have any idea how Riddick has gotten them wherever they are or what the possible exfiltration strategies could be. So Vaako decides he might as well stay where he is, hating the part of him that hopes that if he doesn't escape, if he shows willing that...

He's been showing willing ever since Riddick had claimed the throne. Vaako had done everything in his power to make the Lord Marshall see the truth, and yet somehow he'd failed. He'd blamed it on the many fetters keeping Riddick bound to the living at the time, now Vaako wonders if he shouldn't have been blaming h is own crude solution to the problem of an unwilling Lord Marshall. 

Vaako had tried to sever those fetters as painlessly as possible, the very attempt to do so contrary to his nature. Contrary to the doctrine as well, and yet he had tried for the sake of them all. He still resents Riddick for ignoring the sheer amount of leeway he had been granted because Vaako had been so sure!

In the end Furya is to blame, and Vaako's own laxness. 

Forcible conversion doesn't exist as far as Necroism  is concerned, there is no need for it. But a convert doesn't have to enter the Purification chamber unassisted. Occasionally Vaako had wondered how many troops it would have taken? The numbers wouldn't really have matter, not when considering the end result. There would have been talk, but it wouldn't have be the first time a Lord Marshall was assisted to greatness. 

In the silence of the cave Vaako becomes aware of a steady thumping sound. It stays at the edge of his hearing like the sound of the engines on the Basilica, Vaako always liked the sound of the engines. This sound on the other hand, doesn't agree with him at all. He spends his time wondering what it could be waiting for Riddick to return. Since he doesn't know where he is there are thousands of possibilities none of which Vaako can exclude shackled to the wall. Straining his ears, he tries to confirm that Riddick hasn't come back to watch  him from a corner somewhere close. 

He wonders if it's Riddick's heartbeat he's hearing. 

One of the things he'd had to learn after being taken to the Lord Marshall's bed: sharing his bed with someone alive. The first few nights he'd been required to stay, Vaako's rest had been interrupted time and again by the beating of the Lord Marshall's heart drowning out the familiar sound of the engines. Only this rhythm is different: not the one that's ingrained into Vaako's memory from all the nights listening to it.

In the darkness he can't see the tint of his own skin, can't properly judge his core temperature, can't check all the signs that allow him to judge how long it has been since his last Purification. He has discoveredlong ago that much like a fresh convert, he cannot determine the state of his being without these little tells. He's always noticed before it had become too late, but the flare-ups of emotion at the very end have made him venerable. He hated to admit that his difficulty in this area may be responsible for his attachment to the breeder Lord Marshall. The nobles had started to suspect something wasn't completely right with him by the end. They watched him closely waiting for evidence of his lack of piety, for him to give them an excuse to fall on him like animals and tear him apart. In the dark he can't even estimate how long it's been since his last Purification.

He's been listening to his own heartbeat, and now he listens to it speeding up with panic. Vaako has no clear memory of ever being aware of his heartbeat before. The possibility had always been there hanging over the heads of new converts like an ax for years.  Vaako, despite his difficulties, has never experienced this particular laps before. He is alive, he shouldn't be this alive! Shouldn't be infested with this plague! He cannot be! His chance at attaining the Underverse, already slim, ripped away from him for no reason. 

The anger he felt at being kidnapped is nothing compared to the rage that  froths up now that his  salvation has been taken from him . All that he's trained for, all that he's achieved ripped away for such petty reason as revenge. He can't control the howl that claws its way out of his throat  releasing his rage into the darkness .  It echoes across the stone walls as Vaako fights the shackles . The pain in his wrists and the sound of his voice drown out the sound of his heartbeat, but  the  blood rushing through his vein and the pain he feels  are not the dull sensation  he's grown used to over the decades . The fresh pain is sharp, hot and utterly alien.

Vaako doesn't know how long his fruitless fight against the shackles lasts. A familiar handclosing around his throat, squeezing and depriving him of air finally snaps him out of it. Vaako tries to discern Riddick in the darkness, but there is no trace of silver eyes to focus on, only the grip on his throat that's making it impossible to go on struggling and making him lightheaded. He tries to kick out with his bound legs  but they seem powerless. His body rebels shaking and spasming as the darkness around him grows deeper Vaako is subjected to the indignity of fainting.

He regains consciousness no longer hanging off the wall but still restrained. The cavern around him  is illuminated by the faint light of an emergency torch that is almost blinding after so long surrounding by darkness. Vaako can finally look around: stone and sand all around, not sufficiently distinct to glean any new information regarding his location but better than nothing.

Twisting around Vaako can finally see the man he had given up for dead more than a year before. 

Riddick looks much like the first time Vaako set eyes on him: lean, savage and inscrutable  as he sits barely visible at the edge of the small pool of light. The Lord Marshall's goggles obscure his eyes, the mouth a hard line but at the edge of it barely visible there is still a mark that sends a shiver down Vaako's spine. 

"My Lord?" Escapes him, his heart beating faster until Riddick slinks closer to wrap his hand around Vaako's throat again. 

"Been over that ." The Lord Marshall grumbles crouching down, "Never thought I'd see one of the walking corpses faint." Riddick's thumb rubs across the side of Vaako's throat in what seems to be an unconscious move that stops abruptly as soon as the Lord Marshall realizes what he's doing.

"That would be accurate, if I was still..." He can't bring himself to voice what he suspects to be true. 

"Yeah, was wondering about that. Ya smelled different when I pulled ya out of cryo." Riddick cocks his head in curiosity. Vaako forces the memory of the Lord Marshall's former pets away at the gesture. 

"Cryo?" He hasn't experienced it since he had still been foot soldier, and even then it hadn't been an experience he 'd enjoyed. Whatever equipment Riddick used on him, it had obviously been different from what the Necromonger  fleet had perfected to keep the horde from overusing  their resources. 

"Wouldn't have been a fun trip if we'd stayed awake for all of it. Contrary to rumor, trade routes are pretty damn boring if ya know what you're doing." If anything boredom has always been the bane of Riddick's existence. It had caused Vaako no end of problems over the time of the Lord Marshall's rule: boredom and impulsiveness that Vaako had never quite managed to corral. 

Two more items to add to Vaako's list of reasons he's ended up here: Furya, his own laxness, Riddick's boredom and impulsiveness .

Funny that the soldiers loved their Lord Marshall for the last one.

"How long?" He demands concentrating on the present and the need to know the consequences Riddick's actions are having on his body and mind. Once he knows the extent of the damage he'll be able to form a plan, perhaps even regain all that he's lost eventually.

"Long enough looks like." He sees a flash of teeth accompanying the self satisfied words, not tethered anymore Vaako lunges at his captor despite still being restrained. He doesn't get far, much to Riddick's amusement: it echoes off the walls and brings the fury back .

"You have doomed me!" Are the only words Vaako manages to articulate coherently from all the ones crowding his mind and mouth all of them bitter and vicious. He can do nothing but swear to kill Riddick when he gets the chance:  the staining of Vaako's soul cannot be forgiven even at the cost of depriving the  Necromongers of a fit leader.

"Cheer up  sweetheart , at least I didn't have someone try to stab you in the back. "Riddick drawls standing up, he moves into the circle of light fully and Vaako wonders this is the moment that he will feel the Lord Marshall's knife slitting his throat. Riddick only picks up the  lamp switching it off and plunging them back into darkness.

Vaako is left struggling, robbed of sight again, until he his mouth is full of sand for his efforts. The sand squeaks between his teeth and leaves a texture and taste he'd rather not have familiarized himself with after he  spits it out. It sticks to his lips and cheek: he's sweating from exertion another delight he'd have preferred to pass on. Vaako rolls onto his back. It's not the most comfortable of positions but at least he will not be breathing sand again. His body has reverted to it's original infected state. In all likelihood the armada is long gone and even if Vaako could gain on them, being allowed the privilege of converting twice is unlikely unless he comes back to his old position.

Not that Vaako  is sure what that position should be exactly: a First among Commanders to a breeder Lord Marshall, or a rejected Lord Marshall serving as a placeholder for the true claimant to the throne. He groans in annoyance when another option presents itself. He should not be desiring the position, not after all the effort he's put into filling it with someone else.

 

_ From the corner of his eye  Vaako sees the Lord Marshall twitch. He notes a muscle in the man's jaw jump, notes the powerful  body tremble with  the leashed need to  fight and run. The hounds flanking him  tremble  as well: their coats crimson and  black  as they too itch to join the fight  infected by their master's wants . The Lord Marshall holds on tightly to the railing watching as his men swarm through the city below them.   _

_ It is not a  full scale invasion, just a supply run. Still the  outpost  fights, refusing to surrender and so the Basilica has landed along with several frigates to take what they need. The Lord Marshall doesn't even have to be present for such a trivial fight but Riddick has ignored his advice as usual. _

_ Vaako knows that the Lord Marshall wants to join  his troops .  _

_ If it wasn't for  Vaako's  insistence, hel would have joined the troops hunting through the streets like a common soldier from the very first moment. An explosion sounds in the distance, barely visible on the horizon , the column of fire rending the sky  pushes the Lord Marshall  into action .   _

_ Before  Vaako  can stop him,  Riddick  is on the railing standing tall for a second drawing everyone's eyes before  jumping: letting himself  fall  into the melee below. The hounds roar  their challenge and following their master into the fight.  Vaako  can  only stand and listen to the  cheer going  up all around; the soldiers welcoming a leader who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. _

_ The Lord Marshall infecting his subjects with humanity.  _

_ All he can do is snap at the frozen honor guard to follow ,  practically throwing them off the platform after their charge, before turning back to the displays  that show the troop's progress .  He's tempted to follow as well, if only to keep the Lord Marshall from taking more idiotic risks,  but  someone has to stay and keep the attack on track, so he does  his duty as First among Commanders.  _

_ Grinding his teeth and constantly checking the locator displays he barks commands and resists redirecting troops to cover the coordinates at which the Lord Marshall is enjoying himself . The chance of  him  sustaining damage is minimal, yet  Vaako  doesn't like  Riddick  out of sight: as long as he hasn't accepted the faith and converted Riddick is still weaker than  Vaako  would prefer him to be. Too many things can  go wrong, too many attacks cannot be anticipated beyond knowing that they  - will -  happen.  _

_ The last few cycles some of the nobles had gotten cocky :  assassination attempts had increased  n number since Vaako  started  keeping a proper  Purified  schedule  again. He isn't sure if there is a correlation; not much has changed in either his own or the Lord Marshall's routine since , but there had been three attempts in the last  cycle alone all ending with the Lord Marshall expanding his weapons collection.  _

_ The attempts concern  Vaako: while it is everyone's right to challenge in order to gain advancement, assassination is not the most honorable way to do so. The ones dispensing the orders show themselves to be unworthy of ruling by hiding behind others instead of taking the risks themselves. Behind him  Vaako  can hear several  of the commanders  fidgeting, but refuses to turn  lest one of them think that he considers any a threat . Instead he snaps orders  over his shoulder for them to disperse and supervise other sectors on the continent as they were supposed to be doing  in the first place .   _

_ He keeps watch until the Lord Marshall returns  sauntering up  the Basilica ramp  grimy and still dripping blood flanked by the hounds and several soldiers who are definitely not part of his honor guard.  Vaako  doesn't question the disappearance of the  assigned men. The Lord Marshall kills when threatened  or displeased  without bothering to ask questions first, this makes tracing the conspiracies back to their sources difficult and time consuming  and keeping the honor guard filled and doing their jobs challenging.  _

_ Riddick looks pleased with himself,  an animal just back from a hunt belly full of meat.  Vaako's  body responds to the promise of violence and pleasure in the, by now, predictable way.The only difference now:  when the Lord Marshall's hand wraps around the back of his neck it takes a second for the sensation to register, for Vaako to react to the touch. Purification deadens the nerves; it toughens the supplicant to make him of greater use to the  Necromonger  cause, and after some days  Vaako  has realized that the Lord Marshall is displeased with the effect.  _

_ He cannot appease the displeasure short of stopping  regular  Purification . Vaako  doesn't  understand  it either: he's just as willing as  before,and  just as eager to please his Lord . The delay in sensation is a triviality compared to  the willingness. And yet he is being punished, away from the eyes of others who might take advantage of  Vaako's  temporary tenuous position but punished nonetheless. His nerves might have been numbed, but the Lord Marshall has become savage in reaction. Every time  Vaako  returns from  the Purification chambers  his body is ripped apart  by Riddick's attempts to  force  him  to feel.  _

_ Vaako bows his head as the Lord Marshall and the hounds circle him swallowing  all the  reprimands he wants to make. These days  he's never  quite  sure which way the Lord Marshall will chose to expend his excess energy: fighting or fucking.  Riddick corrals him against the wall , grabbing  Vaako's  jaw and wiping the excess blood off on  his  skin.  Vaako  can't resist fighting back; his body rebels the obedience tenant no matter how much he tries to control himself. He's always had the deep seated instinct to fight that he's had to work past every time he's been required tot show submission. _

_ Over the Lord Marshall's shoulder  Vaako  can see the hounds attacking each other in play ,  the alpha male  mounting his bitch. The hounds, as efficient killers as they are, carry the plague that is life much like the Lord Marshall, they aim to perpetuate it in their way and remind the Lord Marshall of it with their presence: mated pairs the lot of them.  They remind  Vaako  that he still hasn't found the Lord Marshall a suitable bitch.  _

_ The Lord Marshall's hands make short work of  Vaako's  armor, pull away just enough of it to gain access to his body. He's  forced to turn  around and shoved face first into the wall barely managing  to brace himself.   _

_ "Should have gone with us  Vaako, might've actually had some fun."  Riddick  growled into the back of his neck as his trousers are ripped  from  his ass.  Vaako  wonders if the drying blood will be the only lubrication he will receive this time around, but the fingers that force their way inside of him are slicker than expected  as open him up enough that he can accept the Lord Marshall without discomfort. Vaako  presses his forehead against the cold metal and hollows his back offering himself or the Lord Marshall's pleasure.  _

_ Echoes of it rattle across  Vaako's  nerves, start a fire in his  bones  that sets out to consume his whole body. The Lord Marshall's weight on his back only adds to the sensations  as  does the wet panting against the back of  Vaako's  neck.  He scrabbles  at the metal until he finds a position that pleases them both, then all he has to do is take it: bares his neck and clench his ass every time he's filled.   _

_ Right before release rips through his body Vaako's  mind flashes to the hounds who fuck to celebrate survival much as the Lord Marshall does. He's getting infected with humanity every time the Lord Marshall takes possession of his body: not simply taking his pleasure but demanding it from  Vaako as well. He feels the Lord Marshall's fingers dig into his hips leaving proprietary marks  while  searching out  Vaako's  cock  closing around it far too hot for comfort.  _

_ When he comes  Vaako  it's with  howls of the hounds in his ears. The Lord Marshall pulls out with a grunt leaving  Vaako  swaying  with come dripping down his thighs a s he composes himself. W hen  Vaako  finally turns it is to see  Riddick  kneeling among  the animals like he is one of them not even bothering to right his clothing.   _

_ "Get out! " He growls not even looking up," Tell someone to bring me  drink while you're at it."  Riddick is sure that  Vaako will do as he is told , instead of pleasing him the assumption grates on Vaako's  nerves  unexpectedly. 'Obedience in all things' should not be so difficult,  he has submitted to it all his life  and yet with the Lord Marshall he has assisted to the throne... Vaako finds that he cannot obey so easily. _

_ He finds that he wants to buck the orders and stand next to the Lord Marshall as an equal. An absurd, unworthy though that should have been erased during Purification and yet keeps coming back. Not for the first time in the last few months  Vaako  wonders if he isn't failing his faith  as he leaves the Lord Marshall's chambers. _

_ He's certainly failing to find the Lord Marshall a proper mate among the  Necromonger nobles. _

_ Stopping in the  corridor adjacent to the one that leads to the Lord Marshall's quarters he observes the  gaggle of concubines waiting  to be called up  gathered an unused room . He's started gathering and offering them to the Lord Marshall, getting the breeder interested the possibilities truly  becoming the Lord Marshall offer.  Vaako expected Riddick to demand access to them at first but the breeder seemed disinterested when Vaako brought it up. That's when Vaako decided on the direct approach. _

_ The females  are all beautiful in their own way and mammalian enough to appeal to a breeder looking for a genetically compatible match even if they are barren. Purification  having taken care of the possibility of procreation they are female only in name, not that this should stop the Lord Marshall from mating one of them . Vaako _ _chooses two  at random and  motioning  for them to take the wine before  going  off to his own chambers. He doesn't admit even to himself the hope to hear that the Lord Marshall has thrown yet another two concubines out of his chambers. He needs to hear that the Lord Marshall has chosen, that Vaako can be sure Riddick will not disappear in search of a mate. _

 

His arms go numb from the pressure of his body on top of them. Terror grips him that he's lost the use of them permanently but once he rolls to the side a tingling, painful sensation returns soon enough. He doesn't know how long he lies there rolling around to keep blood flowing to his limbs. It could be minutes or hours, his muscles start protesting every time he tries to fight himself into a different position and something inside of him twists and aches.Once he'd been familiar with all of these aches and discomforts, had known what to do to stop them so that he can concentrate on more important things. Now he can only suffer them silently since the alternative is calling out, admitting to weakness and asking Riddick for assistance. He might be captive but Vaako refuses to be weak. 

Somehow the Lord Marshall thrives in this state despite being susceptible to fatigue, hindrance of injury and ease with which the body takes damage.  Vaako  has never feared for his life, that he can remember, his promotion to the  Underverse  would have been welcome at any time. But he has learned to fear for the Lord Marshall, he has learned to fear enough to finally take the chance and transfer Vos to the  Basillica . 

Bleeding wounds had always been for the enemy not their leader. None of the Basilica physicians had met Vaako's standards when ordered to tend to the very amused Lord Marshall's wounds. They had fumbled and hesitated not used to their patients moving around and bleeding out. There had never been any reason to take precautions against infection or the like. Vos, in the end, was the only one who hadn't forgotten how to treat living flesh.

So much effort to keep the Lord Marshall's flesh intact for Purification...and Vaako's reward is living flesh of his own. He's never thought himself to be cruel, but faced with his current condition Vaako can't help feeling vicious . He still exists that means Riddick still wants something from him be it revenge or...

Riddick has always demanded his presence, attention and body. In his current condition Vaako is what Riddick seems to have wanted the whole time. Vaako doubts that he'll ever get used to his body making demands of him instead of the other way around, but he can use it.

He shifts position struggling to his knees. 

Vaako remembers reading about one of the most dangerous four legged predators on Furya they hunted by luring far larger creatures by playing injured then striking when their prey was settling in for a meal. He could do the same, as much as it galls him  Vaako  could offer his weakness to Riddick to distract him from whatever plans the Lord Marshall has already made. Once that is accomplished,  Vaako could go back find the fleet again, they could go back again and this time Vaako will not hesitate.

After all a convert does not have to enter a Purification chamber alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half a chapter since I realize that it's been a dog's age and there was actually more than I thought I had.  
> At least I have a destination in mind and a mind map the size of a wide screen TV to prove it.  
> The mind map really is pretty ridicules.  
> Also if someone knows how I can get my hands on the novelization(s) in ebook/.epub/Europe enabled I'll be forever grateful. 
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ruswitch -> in case people are interested in reading me whine and ask stupid questions while I write.


	4. Chapter 4

Weakness doesn't come naturally, in part due to his training for the rest simply from character. Vaako doesn't know how to submit gracefully, not when there is not chance to seek relief from playing the part by sparring with others of his rank or seeking out someone to fuck.

He ignores not seeking out either for the longest time before the Lord Marshall's disappearance. Every time Vaako had wanted to fuck or fight, Riddick had been there pushing, taunting and...submitting in turn. Despite the discomfort of restrains and strange demands of his newly alive body, it still stirs at the memory of being allowed to mount the Lord Marshall.

His body sends conflicting signals Vaako isn't sure he's interpreting correctly. It is the perfect time to test if his hypotheses works and Riddick can be appeased by bowing to his wishes unquestioningly.

"My Lord Riddick?" He grates as loudly as he dares wondering if it isn't pointless. Riddick is unlikely to be in hearing range waiting for Vaako to call out to him. It doesn't keep Vaako from trying, even if the Furyan doesn't come, calling him may stir Riddick's curiosity.

Vaako is forced to shift position again marvelling how demanding his body is without even the minimal influence of the Purification: his knees soon start to complain and he has to shift position again annoyed with his body's weakness. He'd spend extended periods of time on his knees before waiting for the previous Lord Marshall's pleasure and as punishment and had never complained.

He wonders how Riddick manages to function, to thrive despite the demands his flesh places on him and the limitations of the same. In a way having to submit to his body's demands will make it easier to submit to the Lord Marshall himself, seduce him into returning to his proper post.

"Riddick?" He tries again, but does not hear anything but the sounds of his own living body. His breathing and his heartbeat sounds louder than war drums intertwining into a savage rhythm that sweeps Vaako up and eggs him on into renewing his struggle.

He's pulling at his bonds frantically, fighting to loosen his bonds when the darkness pins him down. The darkness and Riddick's body, Vaako recognizes him by feel arching into the familiar heat of it only to be surprised that skin on skin contact no longer feels scalding.

"Ya done?" The question stops Vaako struggling forcing him to think about the answer. Riddick doesn't disappear, in fact he shifts making himself comfortable on Vaako's chest pinning his arms painfully under Vaako's back.

"I am not certain." He isn't even certain what his body is demanding. "No one who’s Purification was reversed has ever returned." Riddick grunts, shifts his weight and Vaako hears sniffing close to his ear then a light touch along his throat...

"Never figured ya ta get hysterical." There is curiosity in Riddick's tone, he sits back depriving Vaako of the ability to draw breath properly.

"I'm not hysterical!" He snaps, then curses himself for mouthing off. Curses that Riddick's presence is enough to calm him down even in the darkness.

"Ya keep telling yaself that." An amused huff against his skin, his other senses compensating for the lack of sight, he'd prefer to have technology to assist him in dealing with the darkness. Idly he wishes to have his hands released. "So much for Necro self control."

"Fuck you!" Once, cursing wouldn't have even occurred to him as uncivilized as it is. Now, it seems natural, just two simple words manage to make him feel far better than even being released and purified again would accomplish at the moment.

"No thanks, man can only take backstabbing so many times." Riddick's weight disappears off of him, leaving Vaako alone in the darkness yet again. He remembers the last time the Lord Marshall was stabbed by one of the women Vaako had provided no less. Remembers the jealousy he'd felt seeing the females in the Lord Marshall's bed where he was no longer welcome. Jealousy and anger had clouded his mind, had made him sloppy, blindsided him to Krone's machinations, had lead him to this disgrace.

_He  watches the Lord Marshall closely when in the throne room to see which of the females catch his interest. Riddick obviously enjoys the sight of bared female flesh, likes their flattery and attentions and yet none are invited along once Riddick decides to retire._

_Vaako wonders if the Lord Marshall still morns the female Zhylow killed, the one Vaako had brought from Crematoria. She'd carried the markings of a prisoner and he'd assumed that while Riddick valued her for some reason, she had not been his chosen mate, not yet anyway. Now he starts to doubt that assumption, it had taken them a while to catch up so Riddick might have had time to claim her._

Shoving the past aside, Vaako tries to remember what living flesh needs to function properly. Once, a long time ago he knew it, he'd grown into adulthood satisfying these demands. He'd never thought to experience them again. Wincing, Vaako remembers potential humiliations he can look forward to experience. As if his body has been waiting for exactly this realisation, a pressure starts inside of his lower abdomen, a fullness he can't explain and if he's honest doesn't really want to.

In the darkness Vaako isn't sure if Riddick has left him again or if the man is sitting just out of reach watching him struggle. He hates the dark, hates the bonds preventing him from finding his way out of the space he's in. "Ya smell of fear." Riddick sounds surprised. "Ya never smell of fear, not even when ya feel it." He sounds surprisingly close and Vaako has to fight not to reach out fustily.

"That's your fault." He snaps annoyed that he isn't even sure which one of the sensations demanding his attention 'fear' is. As a soldier he knows functional fear: caution that had been drilled into him and he in turn drilled into his men keeping them intact longer and raising the bar for other commanders. He turns trying to find the source of the sound, but all he gets a reminder that he's perfectly capable to bearing the Lord Marshall's displeasure.

_Vaako watches from the shadow of the doorway as the Lord Marshall is prepared. The armor is far less ornate than is traditional: all jagged edges and spikes. Majestic in its own way, Vaako supposes, crafted from metal that seems to absorb all light that touches it. For once the Lord Marshall looks deserving of the title._

_A ruler instead of a vagabond._

_The planet is on its knees: the officials from various regions have been rounded up before the Basilica came in for the landing, they have been brought to one of the public fora to accept the Lord Marshall's offer or die. They wait to be presented to their conqueror, wait to show their submission for all the universe to see. It has taken all of Vaako's power of persuasion to convince the Lord Marshall to bow to tradition in this._

_Having fought Riddick more than once, Vaako can understand why the Furyan doesn't want to have his movements restricted by the bulk of plate. Riddick is far from an honorable fighter, he's a killer who slinks around the shadows uninterested in spectacle just in results the chainmail his new armor consists off serves very well for this purpose. The lightness of the armor is a concession to the Lord Marshall's tastes; Vaako has made sure that changes would be made before he even tried persuading Riddick to look at it._ _The armor is without full coverage, it allows for a wider range of movement but sets Vaako's teeth on edge: one well aimed blast and the Necromongers will be plunged into a civil war until a clear leader emerges._

_As capable a fighter as the Lord Marshall is, he's still a breeder and vulnerable: impure. Impure like the pathetic creatures waiting to submit, like most of them  still unwilling to be Purified. Vaako has tries to understand the reason for the refusal for cycles now._

_Why not take power that is on offer?_

_The Lord Marshall doesn't look at Vaako, simply leaves the room expecting Vaako to follow. The Basilica's grand stairs descend: the way is cleared for them with all the intact soldiers lined up on both sides to be granted the reward of seeing their leader for their victory. The nobles follow a few paces behind him as is proper: they make a strange sight the Lord Marshall sauntering ahead with Vaako following three steps behind, then the rest of the senior commanders and the nobles closing the procession. Both he and the Lord Marshall should have consorts to escort them, it is traditional after all... Vaako does all he can to keep to tradition; hemmed in by it, immersed in it the Lord Marshall will eventually see the sense of taking the last step to his destiny._

_The soldiers cheer: rumors have been running through the ranks about the Lord Marshall joining in the initial fighting before the planet was subdued fully and they are pleased. They like being led by a warrior who they can perceive as 'one of them' again, Vaako had expected nothing less._ _They demand he take them to the Threshold in union in a deafening roar that sends excitement through Vaako's system. He wonders if the effect is greater when leading the way._

_The stray thought reminds him that he should be Purified again. The procedure it needed more often than before, but the clarity he receives after is worth it. The coolness of logic that shows him the proper path to take despite the cost._

_And there is a cost._

_The heavy plate presses down uncomfortably on the open wound on his back. It should have been sown up, but the Lord Marshall has forbidden him to attend to it. None of the medics are willing to defy the order so Vaako has to make due and wait for the wound to close despite the aggravation of the armor pressing down on it. The open wound is the latest of the Lord Marshall's 'gifts' that Vaako cannot quite place._

_The games had started not long after Vaako had gone back to a proper Purification regime. The Lord Marshall had clearly been displeased for reasons Vaako has not managed to understand so far, not even the Lord Marshall could demand one of his subjects stop Purification not without risking promotion sooner than necessary, none could have ever taken offence at another's piety._

_The Lord Marshall's way of showing his displeasure left Vaako with difficulties walking and bite marks in inconvenient places. Vaako had almost gotten used to those, to the responses they elicited from him despite the coolness of Purification. Not that his responses satisfied the Lord Marshall, who watched Vaako even in the throes of release and didn't see whatever it was he was looking for. Vaako had almost been grateful when the savage fucking had abruptly turned into challenges to spar that leave Vaako bleeding and angry._

_The wound across his back is the last in a series of them, the others long since a memory after getting stitched up by Vos who keeps her opinions to herself and defies the Lord Marshall's orders when she deems necessary now that she's been transferred to the Basilica. There are favorable effects of course: no one but the Lord Marshall presents much of a challenge to Vaako after several months of vicious sparring._ _He_ _has been assaulted several times coming from one of these sparring sessions and none of the attackers were left standing. Despite being injured and tire he killed every last one of them without much effort._

_The Lord Marshall has not interfered with any of the challenges, though Vaako suspects that he has witnessed some of the fights, he also hadn't bother to interfere when Vaako sought out the nobles responsible and gutted them in the middle of the throne room._

_There are a lot more unattached consorts and concubines haunting the halls of the Basilica, scheming to find someone to attach themselves to again. Vaako could have taken any of them for himself, yet even the thought of it has left a bad taste in his mouth. He had considered offering the females to the Lord Marshall as gifts, after all the question of acquiring a Mate for the Furyan was still something Vaako had to concern himself with as long as the Lord Marshall refused to submit to Purification, but something held him back every time he thought to raise the subject with Riddick. He keeps the weapons won in the assassination attempts displaying them in the enlarged armory as reminders to be always vigilant._

_Every time the procession pauses, the nobles who do not hold military rank or serve on any of the councils crowd closer. They barely have any contact with the Lord Marshall outside of formal occasions and grasp at every opportunity to catch his eye, or his interest. They do not realize, as those who serve the Lord Marshall directly, how much of a burden serving the Lord Marshall can be. Vaako has gotten used to having his faith tested regularly, so have his generals and the better commanders who are regularly in the Lord Marshall's company. Most nobles, in Vaako's opinion, could not stand the pressures exercised by the Lord Marshall on the closest of his acolytes. Sometimes he's tempted to engineer an occasion for them to realize this fact as well._

_If he would not be expected to step down from his position as First among Commanders, Vaako might have been tempted to step aside and let others try and keep the Lord Marshall on the right path while obeying without question. Too many of the nobles would try to use Vaako's position to help the breeder to die, to elevate themselves to an undeserving position. If one of the ones consumed by personal ambition for power ascends the throne, none of the Necromongers will see the Underverse any time soon, trapped behind leaders who are too busy with fighting themselves while they should be fighting the disease that is life_.

_The structure they are heading for is one the natives give a lot of significance to according to the researchers consulted before landing. Several other locations might have served their purpose as well, but the Lord Marshall chose this one and so there they are._ _They are at a temple of some sort, one all the natives consider a holy place despite their differences. It is the place where pioneers first landed on this particular planet: the symmetry of having all life end where it once began, can almost be called artistic._

_The Lord Marshall kicks the doors open like a common soldier despite the trappings. He circles the people gathered around the daze instead of walking right up to it. Watching from the doorway Vaako misses the Hellhounds that should be flanking the Lord Marshall, snarling and lunging at the already frightened crowd. The thought sends a twinge through Vaako's chest and he balls his fists tighter seeking control._


	5. Chapter 5

He isn't sure what causes his body to shut down in the end, what he does know is that when he regains consciousness, he is no longer bound and Riddick is tending a small fire. Sitting up takes effort but Vaako manages to get to his knees anyway. He is in the middle of debating between rising to his feet or discarding his vanity and simply crawling towards the warmth, when Riddick looks up from the flames. "Thought I killed ya without trying." Gratifyingly the Lord Marshall doesn't sound pleased about it. "Found ya out cold." He continues, and as much as Vaako wants to protest, it is more than he fainted.

"Would you have preferred my—" He isn't sure what word to use: death is no longer a desired result, not in his current state and almost sure to be denied entry to the Underverse.

"Nach, need ya alive." A flask lands in arm's reach. "'til ya hold up your end of the deal." He turns away fumbling with the container that turns out to contain water. "Remember the deal Vaako?" Unwanted elevation in return for coordinates of a dead planet, Vaako spend a lot of time meditating on the rightness of the decision. He'd expected different things from transcendence.

He'd have wondered how exactly Riddick managed to enter the Basilica without any landing codes, but Riddick managed to make his way into the Basilica without getting caught before without setting off a single alarm. He'd made it all the way to the throne room without a single guard being the wiser twice by now. Vaako had thought to have closed that gaps in the security arrangements some time ago with the installation of biometric scanners on key locations...but they had been programmed to let the Lord Marshall through at all times.

He can't remember giving the order to remove Riddick's biometrics from the system, and none of his subordinates had taken the initiative to do it themselves, or Vaako wouldn't be where he is. Riddick had walked into the Basilica like he owned the place, which he still might considering there was no precedent for Lord Marshall returning after being declared 'lost'...after Covu.

Sand kicked in his face distracts Vaako from his thoughts. He closes the flask to keep the water from getting contaminated before glaring at his captor. "We no longer have a 'deal', since you are in no position to give me what I want any longer." The water energizes him enough that Vaako manages to force himself onto his feet and take the necessary steps to reach the fire. Riddick raises his brow in a challenge Vaako chooses to ignore settling with his back against the rock wall. The warmth of the fire is pleasant, almost soothing, it allows him to ignore the discomfort remaining.

"Wrong answer." There is a blade at his throat, Riddick's breath on his cheek as Vaako is pinned down. He barely sees the Lord Marshall move and his body's reaction is...unpleasant. Uncontrolled fear does not agree with him: no longer a cautionary signal but something that takes over his body undermining his will. Annoyed, Vaako surges forward inwardly pleased when the knife follows the motion retreating instead of parting skin.

"I fear, my lord that you have little to bargain with at the moment." Vaako bares his teeth, gathering all the anger he's been suppressing since the moment he came across the breeder. Vaako feels waves of it dance across his skin, static electricity gathering around him like a rising storm.

He's never felt anything like it: anger burning everything out of his system leaving only sensation and lust for blood. Vaako pushes forward until the Lord Marshall is on his back. He grows down at the prone man and Riddick's lips twist into something that under different circumstances might be called amusement. The Lord Marshall's knife scratches along Vaako's collar bone causing a sting. Vaako can't afford to look down, but soon a hot and heavy liquid makes its way down his skin and he has to conclude that he's been cut. "If you kill me, the knowledge I have will be lost." He points out, but the knife doesn't move.

Riddick is glaring up at him: studying him for a weakness to exploit to put Vaako down again. With anger crackling through his body, Vaako finds that he doesn't care: he has the upper hand and he's going to do everything possible to keep it. Under his hand, Riddick's heartbeat is steady, his breath isn't elevated despite Vaako's hands wrapped around his throat, not that Vaako has ever witnessed the Lord Marshall exhibit fear. He tightens his hands around Riddick's throat slightly and only gets a warning growl in return.

It feels like his anger spills out to dance over both of them. As close as they are, the anger holds them captive locked together, blood flows down Vaako's chest a rivulet of heat soaks his shirt, sweat beads on his brow dripping down on Riddick's face. He doesn't expect to see the Lord Marshall's tongue dart out to taste the drops. The move sends a jolt through Vaako's system turning the electricity into lava, his hands clamp down, his whole universe narrowing to the need to see Riddick struggle for his life. He curls his body around the prone man, ignores the disappearance of the knife and the hands that wrap around his arms to keep him from his goal.

Being thrown off is a disappointment and a surprise. Vaako is on his feet in the slippery sand and ready to attack again in an instant." _No._ " The soft order freezes Vaako mid-motion between following the command and following through with an attack despite his still conflicting impulses. "We ain't playing." Rising, Riddick steps away from the fire slipping into the shadows, he drags a hand across his face as he disappears into the darkness and to Vaako it almost looks like he's looking for another drop of blood. Vaako waits, straining his ears for the sound of footsteps or the rustling of clothing but there is nothing. If Riddick is still in the cavern, he isn't moving carelessly enough for Vaako to hear.

Eventually he moves back to the fire. The heat is welcome, slowly but surely it allows him to relax burning the tension out of his body until he's as calm as circumstances allow. Vaako's body demands rest, but his mind can't stop: thoughts and memories jumble together as he tries to decide how to find his way back to the true path.

_It's been several cycles since the Hellhounds have met their end. Their passing should no longer be of consequence. Vaako regrets the destruction of efficient killing machines, but they were one of the anchors holding the Lord Marshall back from fulfilling his full potential. He had no other choice but to sever the tie._

_Once the decision had been made, Vaako found himself forced to exercise patience. Even with unrestricted access to the creatures, he'd needed help to achieve his objective. Vos was the one to supply a poison the creatures hadn't been immune to. She had refrained from commenting, but Vaako read condemnation in her eyes when she had delivered the remedy. He'd ignored her reminding himself that Vos was corrupted long before he'd even been Converted._

_The delivery method took a while to work out as well. He could not be implicated: could not afford to lose his position to one of the nobles or the Lord Marshall's blade. Poisoning a Lensor and letting it stray into the Hellhound's path had taken some doing. The chance of failure was great but the creatures had been bored and looking for a fight: when they finished, there were barely any pieces left._

_Vaako watched the Hellhounds die one after another in their master's arms. He had watched the Lord Marshall more than the creatures, unable to look away from where Riddick sat on the floor comforting the beasts as they passed from the universe. The ecstasy of loss had reminded Vaako of what he imagined every Convert felt the first time they were Purified, it was magnificent. After the last Hellhound expired, the Lord Marshall had torn a hole in the upper ranks in his grief searching for clues and culprits._

He's always wondered why suspicion had never fallen on him, how the Lord Marshall could have been so blind. Any Necromonger would have looked towards his direct subordinates first, and yet he hadn't even been questioned. Vaako stood at the Lord Marshall's side watching the slaughter certain he'd made the right choice. He'd waited, expecting Riddick to turn to him and to the faith once his revenge was complete only to have the Lord Marshall distance himself with drink and finally the females Vaako had been parading before him. Vaako had never expected failure, hadn't expected to be haunted by it.

_It is said the Purified do not dream._ _While they rest, visions are only granted to the Head Purifiers and in rare cases the Lord Marshall. They are never granted to mere commanders, not even those who have been awarded the highest honour. Vaako cannot understand why his nights are haunted by the memories of the hounds dying._

_He is not worthy of visions, and incapable of dream: Vaako should not be seeing the Lord Marshall's control crumble as he kneels on the floor of the bedchamber holding his pets as they die. The none-dreams drag the moments out: the poison hadn't been fast acting in reality, but in Vaako's mind the process seems to take forever, eons drag by before the last hound is gone, dispatched by the Lord Marshall's merciful hand. While he should be finding his rest, Vaako watches tortured silver eyes staring down at the beasts, staring down at himself as he lies dying bleeding out on the rocks._

Nothing in the Necromonger law speaks of the fate of animals, nothing speaks of animals that die before their time. The laws are far more clear for humans: the unconverted lose their souls, they are swallowed up by the universe, become space dust, their very is wiped away. For the Converted, there is no such thing as before their time: a Necromonger serving the cause always dies at his or her appointed time and is accepted by the Underverse to be reborn behind the Threshold into a new life, a proper life among the rest of the worthy.An unconverted Lord Marshall dying would turn in to space dust, destroying Vaako's, and everyone's chances of reaching their destination. The line of succession would be broken, the next step on the road to the Underverse unclear.


	6. Chapter 6

The fire goes out leaving Vaako in darkness again, he tries to meditate but fails to keep up the concentration required until meditation is no longer possible. Feeling restless, he gets up and shuffles around until he feels a wall. Finding a way in solid darkness is a tedious process, keeping one hand on the rocks Vaako moves forward one step at a time circling what seems to be most of the cavern unnecessary before finding a place where the wall veers off leaving a narrow passage into another space.

The corridor he finds himself in is narrow enough that when he spreads his arms, Vaako can touch both walls. Walking with his arms out is awkward and leaves him vulnerable to attack, but since Riddick has no problems leaving him unguarded and without weapons, Vaako assumes that the chances of assault are minimal. There are openings in the corridor walls, entrances to other caverns. He considers exploring them all: systematically going through ever cavern he passes until stumbling over something that will give him light or the ability to make some. Unfortunately that tactic could leave him wandering without finding anything for far longer than it will take for Riddick to realize he's left and come find him. Keeping count in his head allows Vaako to guess at how far the corridor stretches. It winds and bends every so often to allow for? Defensive positions is the most likely answer. Wherever it is Riddick has taken him, it was build to be defended: not a completely natural location, despite the organic feel of it all. Someone took great care to make sure every meter would be hard won if it was ever assaulted, and yet it feels abandoned: the air tastes stale and dead like it has remained undisturbed for far too long.

Around yet another corner, unexpectedly light spills from the doorway to one of the caverns. As dim as it is, the light almost blinds him, and Vaako has to wait for his eyes to adjust instead of rushing inside to take possession of the source of it. He creeps forward until peeking around the corner is a possibility: the space looks more like an actual chamber than a cave, the back wall of it covered with a data system that can be considered antique. Riddick is stalking up and down along it toggling switches and punching buttons seemingly at random. The violent treatment of such a fascinating piece of machinery makes Vaako wince at the sight. As he watches, one of the screens lights up and Riddick pounces on it at once pulling up a keyboard and start typing something before stepping back again with a frustrated growl. Whatever Riddick wants, it is clear to Vaako that the Lord Marshall is not getting it. The Lord Marshall's frustration might be the reason that Vaako is still alive: the technology might be old, but he's familiar enough with the blueprints for such systems, that unlike Riddick he could get it to work.

"Ya gonna stare, or be useful?" The Furyan growls not bothering to turn around, Vaako takes it as permission to come closer and inspect the system. The fact that it's still functioning, says a lot about its makers: the craftsmen had clearly been talented. He wonders what power source the system uses for it to not have run out. It cannot be too far removed from their location and could prove even more fascinating than the machine itself.

"Useful?" The haughty tone escapes before he can sensor himself, too distracted with possibilities of the old technology. Riddick actually turns raising a brow and Vaako feels his skin heat at the way silver eyes rake his body. He expects taunts or threats to follow the look, but finds himself ignored instead. Riddick returns his attention to the data system, switches some more settings around, as Vaako watches fighting the urge to protest the molestation, before trying to enter data through another of the screens. He can't help another wince when Riddick's palm connects with a button with more force than necessary betraying the Lord Marshall's growing annoyance. It is a wonder that the data system is still functional: if Vaako was to guess by the looks of it the system is at least half a century old and he would gladly spend time examining it minutely, if not for the Lord Marshall's demand. Considering Riddick's assumptions regarding Vaako's role in his removal from the armada, Vaako wouldn't be surprised that only the Lord Marshall's knowledge of his...hobby is keeping Vaako from dismemberment.

By the time the misunderstanding had caused Riddick's...departure, Vaako had stopped enjoying the Lord Marshall's confidence but he'd long since been aware that Vaako wasn't a simple soldier who had worked his way up from the ranks. Riddick used to like watching Vaako tinker with gadgets and systems when there was time silent and still as if worried that he would break Vaako's concentration otherwise. The data system could yield a lot of interesting information: knowledge that had been lost, never got reported back and possibly the reason why the base exists and was abandoned wherever it is. Just by looking Vaako is pretty sure that he could coach most of the information from the memory banks...And forfeit his own life in the process.

"I don't feel like playing. Do not piss me off, Vaako." Absorbed in his examination of the data entry points, Vaako has almost forgotten that Riddick is still in the room. The warning is unexpected, and not Riddick's usual mode of operation. Besides, Vaako hasn't done anything that might be considered a challenge to the feral man. "You—cannot threaten me, my Lord." He points out, recklessly. "I have nothing left to lose." Even his ambitions had been taken from him in the end and without them? Without the leader he chose for his people, what else was there? 

"Not even your 'transcendence'?" The Lord Marshall questions from right behind his back.

"Not even my death." Vaako tells him over his shoulder, his hands running across the keyboard feeling the potential contained under each grimy key. Riddick's fingers run through his hair, familiar and strangely alien now that they cannot catch on Vaako's braids any longer.

"Do you even remember what it is to fear death?" The sensation of the Lord Marshall's breath on the bare skin of his neck almost distracts him from the question. "I remember. I have seen this fear in the eyes of millions." He's seen it reflected in the eyes of his opponents and later in the eyes of rulers brought down by Zhylaw, just before their souls were ripped out of them. That demonstration always did make an impact on the conquered, not that Riddick's way of approaching potential converts hadn't been just as impressive in it's own way.

_The Lord Marshall stalks, circles the leaders huddled in the middle of the holy place, the defender's last stand driving the herd into a tighter group. Eventually two men step forward, heads held high and ready to protest the injustice of the invasion. Vaako trails his lord, close enough to notice the Lord Marshall covertly scents the air before zeroing in on the delegation elected to confront him. They are rulers of their planet, along with their families gathered up and brought to kneel for their conqueror._

_"The lot of you stink of fear." The Furyan sneers making the supplicants jump and try to pull back. "You know the choice: convert or die. Real simple, I don't care what the priests have been yakking about before I got here. You don't want to be ghosted: YOU CONVERT." He doesn't bother to say anything else, the first person who steps forward to argue gets a knife to the throat and dies twitching in a pool of own blood._ _"Just so you know: I can do this all day." Riddick drawls his attention no longer on the adults but on the young hidden between them clutching at hands and legs. He's noticed the Lord Marshall's fascination with the sub-adults before: he acts towards them as he did towards his pets, the same...camaraderie._

_Vaako wonders if the Lord Marshall realizes that his people have no use for the sub-adults._

_They have touched on the subject briefly while Vaako tried to acquaint the Lord Marshall with the culture of his people, but it almost seemed like Riddick didn't want to hear any of it._ _Unfortunately, now that they will be actively taking converts, the issue will be unavoidable. Vaako is already not looking forward to it. He's tempted to delegate the discussion to the expert on the subject, but is eventually forced to conclude that having the conversation himself will be easier than finding yet another Head Purifier. He holds his peace waiting and watching._ _To everyone's shock, the Lord Marshall suddenly kneels offering his hand to something or someone cocking his head as he waits._

_The young that creeps from_ _along the adult's legs isn't particularly remarkable, not that Vaako is much of a judge of children, still it is brave of the creature to dare touch what in its eyes could very well be a god. The Lord Marshall smiles, and the child smiles in return allowing itself to be pulled closer despite the consternation of its minders. Riddick lets the child touch his armor and weapons, in fact thoughtlessly gives one of the shivs to the young to hold, and laughs when the child stabs at the air. It takes everything in Vaako not to try and...a sub-adult cannot be a threat to a killer, not as long as its minders are unwilling to use it as one...Vaako just doesn't want to take any chances, not when he's so close to his goal._

_The reluctance with which Riddick sends the young back into the crowd, reminds Vaako that he still lacks a mate for the Furyan. The breeder's reluctance to chose one of the courtesans is surprising considering Riddick's previous interest in Vaako's former wife and clear interest in progeny. Briefly he considers selecting one or more of the none-converted to tempt the Lord Marshall with, they can always be brought to their proper state after the Lord Marshall has gotten...attached._

_Another of the elders tries to argue, to bribe them with resources they will be taking anyway, and dies for his trouble, only when the third is bleeding out on the floor does Vaako see the convictions of the crowd start to weaken. By then Riddick has made himself comfortable on the steps leading up to a tabernacle of some sort ignoring the warnings of his prisoners that if he comes any closer to the idol he will be destroyed for his impudence. He makes a deliberate effort to chip the fat jewels off the holy relic, occasionally looking up at the ceiling as if waiting for the hand of some god or another to burst through and stop him. While he's entertaining himself thus, the Head Purifier talks to the crowd until one by one they start falling to their knees._ _After all have submitted, it is only a matter of calling the transports to take them back to the Basilica. They watch as the supplicants are loaded leaning against the outer temple wall enjoying the afternoon sun. The guards are efficient, they pull the young out of the crowd herding them away before their minders realize what is happening. "Where are they taking the kids?" The Lord Marshall asks watching the culling._

_"Taking my Lord? I do not understand?" The question is surprising, Vaako can't recall ever hearing it before from anyone, not even raw recruits."We do not take anyone who cannot be of use." He reminds Riddick as diplomatically as he can._

_"You leave them?" Vaako turns disturbed by the note of...rage suddenly in the Lord Marshall's tone._

_"We have no use for sub-adults, and not sufficient resources to support excess ballast without reason." He tries to explain: the armada is a grand army and yet it is a delicate biosphere as well carefully balanced and engineered with a function for every part. They have no need for...a legacy that the young are for breeders, nor the time to wait for them to grow sufficiently to be useful to the army...forgetting the fact that young are tangible evidence of the corruption that is all living matter, the proof of the taint getting spread further._

_"You leave them?" Riddick turns on him, pinning Vaako to the wall by this throat, robbing him of breath. "I've seen the records: stripping a planet takes weeks, sometimes longer when we have to_ _mine for shit and you leave them to starve?" He points at the young huddled together, most of them crying while some try to rejoin the stream of supplicants again only to be pushed back towards the pack._

_"They will be ended, once the Icon is activated." Vaako points out calmly fighting for air. The Lord Marshall doesn't answer him with words, but the wounded growl...disturbs him. Vaako is left leaning against the wall to stare as the Lord Marshall stalks away, not bothering to wait for his escort to realize they should be following._

He'd always felt pity for the pathetic creatures who trembled at the prospect of death, now he feels his pulse speed up but isn't sure if it is due simply to the Furyan's proximity, or at the threat the Lord Marshall represents. Once, Vaako would have dared to lean back, to trust that Riddick would be pleased to support his weight, to accept Vaako's bared throat as his due. Now, Vaako wouldn't be surprised that the only reason there isn't a blade at his throat already is that Riddick needs him to recover the data.


	7. Chapter 7

"I could leave ya ass to croak, stumbling around in the dark." Riddick tells him casually petting Vaako's hair while watching his hands dance across the keys. That would be a death unworthy of a warrior, and in Vaako's current state...the Underverse would be forever out of reach. He grits his teeth, and goes over the primary commandments before responding. "Likewise I could destroy all chance you have of finding Furya." He retaliates mildly, irritation fading as the data system starts to bends to his will and information starts spilling out.

"Guess we're stuck together, huh?" Riddick concludes stepping away leaving Vaako's neck weirdly cold. He strains his muscles to keep from turning and reaching for the Lord Marshall as his body demands. "Till fucking Underverse comes." The Furyan throws over his shoulder, crossing the room to settle among the crates stacked against the wall there pulling out one of his blades to play with.

Vaako has no answer to the blasphemy, he turns back to the screen coaching the system into something of a basic operational configuration. Several screens light up, he manages to coach the diagnostic routines into starting, checking several times that all parameters are correct. With the system occupied, he turns away from it surveying the cavern once more. There are compartments along the wall he hadn't noticed before; too distracted by the fascinating tech, and contemporary crates where Riddick is cleaning his nails with an air of bored menace that Vaako can't quite bring himself to be impressed by.

"Why me, my Lord?" He asks: the Lord Marshall's actions do not make sense, he doesn't _need_ Vaako, it should not be difficult to find a coder of proper caliber in one of the neighboring systems, and yet Riddick made the effort to catch up to the fleet, and kidnap _him."_ We still have business." Riddick tells him distractedly, making it clear further questions are not appreciated. Still, there is not much else Vaako can do while waiting for the system checks except explore the chamber.

"What do you hope to find on a dead world? Even the bones of your people were turned into dust by the Icon." Vaako opens one of the compartments, a cloud of dust rises up in greeting, gifting Vaako with the experience of sneezing for the first time in more cycles than Riddick has been alive. Everything is covered with a thin layer of dust and sand. Riddick must have spend some time cleaning it off the data system before chancing turning it on, but hadn't bothered to clean off anything else. Waving the cloud out of the way, Vaako squints down at the objects that fill the long forgotten compartment: a stack of degraded data pads, possible data storage units, and all the way in the back something metallic looking. After scrutinizing the compartment for traps, and tampering that might still be active, Vaako reaches in almost surprised when his hand closes around a configuration that can only be a firearm.

It might not work, he tells himself it is better to assume that all the gun is good for is throwing, still Vaako can't resist reaching for it. He feels naked without a weapon: far too exposed without the calming effect of purification, even a defective antique is welcome. Just holding it makes him feel more in control. "Drop it." Riddick's body heat against his back forces Vaako to fight a shiver, resisting the still present urge to lean back, and be welcomed into an embrace. "Or I'll cut ya fingers, since ya only need two ta give me what I want."

"I don't even know if it's loaded." Vaako protests, not bothering to turn around, or let go of the gun. From the weight of it, it probably is, but the chance that Riddick has encountered anything with solid projectiles is small and it's unlikely that any baseline the Furyan might have for him is useless in Vaako's current state.

"Yeah, ya do." Riddick crowds against his back, reaching around Vaako to close his hand around the gun as well. Guiding their hands out of the compartment, the Lord Marshall bringing the gun up to get a better look. Vaako doesn't protest as the gun is raised to point at his temple, sure that despite his blood rushing through his veins, heart beating rapidly, and the unfamiliar tide of panic lapping at his consciousness: he will _not_ be ended yet. "Still not sure, Vaako?" The Lord Master growls in his ear.

"My Lord..." He doesn't have anything to say, the assessment of the threat Riddick's represents taking up most of his mind. Absurdly, Vaako remembers the switch over from solid cartridges to plasma bursts: looting the first weapons from soldiers on distant outposts and the savage joy of discovering how much destruction they could bring and the long purification that followed. By the time the Furyan campaign was in full swing, most of the armada was switched over, he still remembers the pleasure of no longer needing to reload and surgical precision that was now possible...the older soldiers had mocked him for falling in love.

Vaako doesn't remember ever feeling anything similar for solid projectile guns, he certainly hadn't felt anything resembling the emotion for another human being. "I—" The data system beeps, and Riddick steps back, wrenching the gun from Vaako's hand leaving him bereft and naked again. To distract himself from  _emotions_ , Vaako focuses on assessing the condition the system is in.

The low humidity, and lack of air circulation have kept most of the expected corruption at bay, the energy supply is low, and it will be impossible to activate what's left of the complex's defenses, navigational arrays, or security sensors that might still be there, but there is enough power to give Riddick what he wants. Staring at the screen, Vaako ignores that he can do that at any time without the assistance of the system.

He wonders if Riddick has forgotten that Vaako _remembers_ the location, or decides his claims were based on data hidden somewhere on the ship? If he's decided that getting Vaako to work the ancient system is simpler and less time consuming. The amount of trust the Lord Marshall exhibits regarding a subordinate whom he claims to have been betrayed by already is, questionable and suspicious. "Pretty gun, haven't seen something like this in a while." Riddick caresses the weapon, ejecting the magazine with projectiles without much effort. "Nasty things, at lest a plasma gun cauterizes the wound."

Vaako ignores him, focusing on giving the system different orders until he reaches the command files once he figures out the command structure. Torn between erasing the data, and stepping aside, he stops leaning back to wait for Riddick to make his decision for him. Despite his fingers itching to enter the command that...at his point will accomplish nothing, he looks up at the Lord Marshall. "The system works, it won't for long." He tells Riddick, feeling the Furyan's presence close again, still wondering at the strange behavior.

In his place, Vaako wouldn't be as trusting.

_"How long will it take to get all the raw materials up to the armada this time?" The Lord Marshall questions disposing of his armor, trailing pieces of it on the way to his chambers. Vaako has no choice but to follow, unsure of the Lord Marshall's mood and unwilling to worsen it by taking his leave without permission._

_"The estimates are positive: three weeks at the most, if conversion proceeds according to schedule, and the new converts can be set to work at once. Detrition is on average 10% supplicants who do not survive the pain, or are driven mad by it. The rest who are not specialists can be put to work." The army can wait on its new recruits for a few weeks, manual labor would cull the weaker converts as well, helping selection along. Vaako has never thought about the rightness, or wrongness of the way conversion is handled. It is an efficient process, and yet another thing the Lord Marshall is unwilling to understand. "10% huh, not very efficient." Riddick throws mockingly over his shoulder._

_Vaako sets his jaw, unsure if Riddick is actually asking for an explanation. "Not everyone is—eligible it was discovered. The Purifiers would be able to explain the reasons, I just—accept them." Riddick snorts in response."Must be nice."_

_The lights go out at a silent command, and Vaako is left to make his way towards the Lord Marshall's voice in the dark. "To_ accept, _I mean." Riddick purrs in his ear, far closer than Vaako expects him to be, wrapping a hand around his throat. Vaako's whole body screams in protest as he's forced down to his knees, yet still he goes: bowing to his Lord Marshall's wishes._

Living bodies are...aggravating, Vaako can't remember the last time he felt fatigue since his first Purification. While Riddick busies himself with the terminal, Vaako takes his captor's spot among the crates closing his eyes as he leans back against the wall. The caves are silent, except for their breathing, and the sounds of the terminal purring as it works.

It's almost peaceful, half asleep Vaako wonders if this is what he would have become if Necromongers had not freed him from the disease that is life? Some support or coding position on a backwater planet, unaware of the extent of the universe, of the _potential_. He would have been no one, insignificant...not unlike he is now.

Annoyed with the direction his thoughts have taken, he opens his eyes to study the savage bent over the terminal. Despite all his best efforts...Vaako wonders who has unjustly laid claim to the title of Lord Marshall after his disappearance? Toal is the most likely, Scalp Taker? They both possessed fractions willing to back them: mostly nobles, one or two lesser Purifiers each...neither of them would have thought to cultivate relationships with either the techs ,or soldiers expecting blind obedience from the lowest rungs of their society.

He wonders if Vos has survived the upheaval. She hadn't been impressed with him of late, had reminded him time and again that indecision was weakness and the nobles were losing patience. Still she had given him her support regardless, despite the rising danger trusting his claim that he was acting in the best interests of their people.

After Riddick's 'departure' she had functioned as his second in command despite having no interest in politics, despite her preference to the art of building better Lensors and keeping the soldiers in one piece. In hindsight he might have listened to her more.

_"I doubt that getting taken apart by the Lord Marshall is a worthy death, sir." Vaako feels the itch of coarse threat pulling his skin together then another stab of the needle as his flesh is sutured. "There is going to be a scar." She adds casually, as if that could possibly be relevant to a Necromonger. He's just relieved that the annoyance of it reopening again, and again under the weight of his armor will be no more. Ignoring Vos' words Vaako studies her leg reflected in a panel in front of him: he could design a far better prosthetic less chunky and most likely lighter, but Vos has been irrationally attached to the thing for as long as Vaako can remember._

_When he was young and foolish, he'd offered one time thinking that it might earn him a better alliance: he'd learned different. Grimacing when the thread is tugged a little too hard through his skin, he resists the urge to sigh with relief when the stitching is finally pulled tight, and tied off. Something cold is sprayed along the wound, then Vos pokes him sharply in the kidney. "Attempt not to piss the Lord Marshall off too much for the foreseeable future, sir. The wound should be given time to close."_

_"I will keep that in mind." He throws his shirt on before turning to face her. "He—does not—,the Lord Marshall is not pleased with—me." Frustrated, Vaako finds that he lacks the words to explain their leader's recent behavior, or his own reaction to it._

_"I would expect him to take any perceived slights out of your hide in a different way, sir." Vos smirks, the unusual expression twisting the scar on her face into a odd shape._

_"Show some respect!" He growls at her, but Vos ignores him gathering her supplies ready to go and lay low for a while in case the Lord Marshall notices that his orders were disobeyed and decides to punish someone for it. "My apologies, sir." She eventually throws over her shoulder once she's finished packing up, and heading for the door. "Vos!" He calls, just as she's about to open the door. "I am attempting to rectify the situation. Purification, has not worked as well as—expected and the Lord Marshall is being—difficult." She turns sharply, narrowing her eyes as she studies him again._

_"Interesting." She allows, and Vaako feels something twist in his gut when she doesn't elaborate. "Interesting?" There isn't supposed to be anything interesting about him: he is nothing but a loyal soldier who is trying to do his duty. "Again I should apologize, sir. It is not my place to comment." He wants to protest, but she is right he is her superior and should not be questioned: obedience without question is after all the ideal. Lacking the right words, he simply nods and she disappears into the hallway._


	8. Chapter 8

Even on the partly corrupted maps the data system provides, Vaako has no trouble picking out the system that once was Furya. Once Riddick produces a pad on which the current star charts can be accessed it is almost obvious: right in the middle of a dark sector that doesn't even have beacons for  the basic transport routs. Just as the armada left it all those years ago. 

30 cycles on, and still no one has attempted to colonization either out of fear of ghosts, or Necromongers returning. Vaako pushes the pride at his people's accomplishment aside, and watches Riddick effortlessly plot a course right to the edge of the destruction no doubt burning the adjacent beacon coordinates into his memory. "The maps are fucked." The former Lord Marshall concludes eventually, just as Vaako starts falling asleep again, his body shutting down for no clear reason and without his say so.

"They are, what they are." He shrugs wondering what the Lord Marshall expected to find.

"No navigational beacons." They had taken extra effort to leave none behind.

"It is still possible to navigate manually—" He'd left instructions on the skiff, locked away until they reached the last of the bacons to minimize the chance of tempering and keep the Lord Marshall leashed as long as possible.Instructions Riddick never received, never reaching the key coordinates. It had seemed to safest way to insure no attack could be mounted while their leader was at his most vulnerable at the time: hiding the information and only informing his trusted commander, instead of the Lord Marshall intent shirking his duties to keep the breeder from wandering off." If the ship is equipped for it."

"Convenient." Riddick frowns down at the pad, playing with the zoom function as if that will give him additional information if he sets the parameters just right. Vaako wonders if he's already plotting a course towards the dead star systems in the tail of the Necromonger's trail. Every planet there wiped out, every moon destroyed  nothing but space dust and dead rock: nothing anyone should be curious about. "The skiff I offered you had manual controls. Krone should have given you the coordinates to navigate the waste land once you'd reached the edge—" Snorting Riddick turns away radiating disbelieve, but something in his posture has Vaako suspecting that the Lord Marshall is unsure. He watches silently as Riddick prowls around the room, resentment building in his gut that after all Vaako did, he's still accused of treachery. "With the coordinates in hand a Necromonger pilot could have easily guided you to your destination— and back—" The Furyan surges forward, slamming Vaako into the console. "And why's that? Ya made it damn clear I wasn't exactly ya favorit person. Why take the chance I'd actually make it back?"

"I did everything I could to keep you from leaving!" Vaako hisses back, rage and resentment surging, overwhelming all barriers of propriety and  survival instinct. He bucks against Riddick's grip, kicking out as best he can to give himself room. A spark of rationality has him expecting a knife at his throat for his efforts, not for Riddick to rip his goggles off and lean in close enough that Vaako can discern different tints of silver that make up the pupil-less eyes. Blood rushing through his veins deafens him, hands clawing at Riddick's biceps frozen with something that might be fear—or something else. Purified, Vaako could never have reacted so imprudently, it would never have occurred to lash out at the Lord Marshall even verbally. Now that he isn't purified any longer—there is nothing to help him stay in control any longer, nothing to keep him from lashing out. Everything he's kept bottled up and secreted away spills out. "I have scarified my position and dignity to keep you on the throne." He snarls in Riddick's face, like an animal trashing anew. "Have been loyal beyond reasonable measure, beyond the tenets of our faith— _yet you do not even hesitate to accuse me of betrayal!"_ He finishes with a shove, that miraculously works well enough for Vaako to twist out of the Lord Marshall's grasp  pushing the Furyan aside.

Pushing his advantage, Vaako kicks out aiming for Riddick's head. Diving away at the last moment, Riddick goes for his goggles, leaving Vaako to turn and run adrenaline pumping through his body making the dark hallway light as day. He bounces off the walls, and scrapes himself raw going around corners, but that only spurs him into speeding up uncaring where the corridors are leading him. Vaako pushes his body until he's numb, his knees going weak and giving out under him. Slumping against the rough wall, he sucks down stale air until some sensation returns before pushing off and pressing on.

Riddick could be right behind him, or still back with the data system, now that he's calming down Vaako becomes aware of the silence around him. Riddick could be right behind him, and Vaako wouldn't know until he felt a blade between his still heaving ribs. No knife materializes, and eventually Vaako feels sure enough to no longer need the support of the wall. A breeze dancing across the back of his neck stirs his curiosity, with a hand on the wall Vaako moves forward until the wall under his hand disappears and he feels space opening up ahead of him.

In the dark, it feels like he's stepping into the black itself, like what he imagines the Underverse to be like. The air is still stale, but there is more of it, should he jump Vaako isn't sure he'd be able to tell up from down or left from right until coming down. His senses strain to make sense of his surroundings, but without more input he's lost, terrifyingly aware that each step forward could be his last. In the darkness he could be stepping closer and closer to an abyss, or a trap that will skewer his body like an insect's—cast his soul out into this universe forever banned from the Underverse for having been alive and unclean upon death.

He isn't sure how long he's been running, or walking for that matter. The darkness has swallowed up his sense of time as well as the rest of his senses. The weak, _alive_ body shakes overloaded by all the thoughts spinning through his minds. Harsh light floods the space around him blinding Vaako and pinning him in place for the agonizing wait until his sight returns. Light, is not something he would have anticipated from a creature who is adapted to the dark. "Waned ya not ta run!"

Riddick's growl echo's down from some kind of speaker from the sound of it. Riddick could be right around the corner with a comm unit, or across the compound in some kind of control room. Vaako doesn't bother to respond, forces himself to move instead: places one foot in front of the other with more confidence now that he recognizes the space he's in. Hangar bays all look alike: the only question now is if there are any flight ready skiffs around. Metal slams against metal high above him and somewhere to the side, and the sound of a heavy body hitting the deck. Vaako breaks into a run, now confident he's being chased a fresh surge of adrenaline giving him speed he hadn't thought his body to be capable off in his condition.

Perversely, he doesn't want to see the pleasure of the hunt in Riddick's face, nor the joy of the kill. It is far better to take a knife to the back, and keep the few illusions he's still managed to cling to. Either way, the Underverse is beyond his grasp and—He doesn't hear Riddick close in, the predator hunts in silence after all, focuses on the far side of the cavernous space where something that might just be a skiff is barely visible against the grey wall. Promising himself to make Riddick work for the kill, he zigzags across the runway aiming for the craft. Riddick's body slamming into him sending both of them tumbling leaves Vaako cursing, and knocking his head on the stones.

He scrabbles onto his knees and crawls away until he manages get his bearings before getting to his feet. Riddick has his knife in hand, another still strapped to his thigh circling Vaako with a sneer. He opens his mouth, ready to taunt the Furyan into attacking—and has to duck away instead as the knife is thrown at him bouncing off the stones and coming to a stop next to his knee. "Get up." Vaako is tempted to refuse, stay on his knees and see what Riddick is going to do, but his knees ache already and anger gives him strength. His shirt is soaked through, the fabric sticking annoyingly to the gnarled scar on his back making it itch.

They've fought each other more times than he can count, with and without weapons but despite all the anger and frustration Riddick had elicited, he'd never enticed  Vaako into actually attempting to kill him, never until that very moment. His body that had been weakening only minutes before felt renewed throbbing with energy making him faster, stronger, far more reckless than he's ever been. He launches himself at Riddick knife first, holding on to him and taking the Furyan down with him as he's thrown off. They roll on the ground stabbing and blocking, clawing at each other in fury until by accident his hand catches in Riddick's belt pulling them flush against each other.

Riddick's hot breath on his throat, Vaako struggles to drive a knee in Riddick's ribs: push him off and give himself room to breathe. The move fails, but this close another route is open to him one he'd never even considered during their sparring sessions: he could easily dispose of the goggles that protect Riddick's sensitive eyes leaving the Furyan vulnerable in the brightly lit space. It has always been beneath him, to even consider such—base—tactics, but without the certainty of the Underverse, and with nothing else to lose he lashes out with the knife, the tip of it snagging on the strap and tearing it. Riddick curses his displeasure, driving his fist into Vaako's ribs in retaliation. They come apart and dance around each other, but Vaako knows he's being played with.

Feigning weakness, he stumbles back inviting Riddick into moving in for the kill, and swinging low as soon as the Furyan is in range intent on crippling. For the first time feeling like there is an actual chance of coming out on top—only for Riddick to kick the knife out of his hand pinning him down seemingly without effort, practically grinding him into the floor his shiv pleasantly cool against Vaako's overheated skin. Refusing to be beaten Vaako frees an arm, clawing for the goggles again almost managing to snag them before the handle of the blade slams into his wrist making him howl in pain.        

Pain that is different without the numbing effects of purification: sharp and crisp instead of a dull annoyance. It demands far more of his attention this way, Vaako wishes idly he had more time to explore the differences with his normal state. "Never did listen well, did ya?" Riddick muses, far too close for comfort. Vaako gasps and struggles, only stilling when the Furyan forces his wrists down pinning them down with his knees. He screams in frustration and something deep inside of him explodes burning him crawling along his nerves. Riddick's weight on top of him disappears, not that it helps with his body feeling like it's tearing itself apart from the inside out concentrating on his chest. Vaako claws at his shirt, tearing at it until he can check that his skin isn't actually burning. A handprint glows over his heart.

Somewhere at his back, Riddick's laugh echoes around the hangar.  


	9. Chapter 9

The first thing Vaako becomes aware of is that his whole body hurts, the second is Riddick has managed to get the light net of the outpost working—barely, but working. The light is dull and purplish, but at least he can see the ceiling in the gloom. There isn't much to look at, but after the unrelenting darkness, and the blinding lights of the hangar, dimness has a certain appeal. 

He isn't restrained which is somewhat of a surprise, and back where he'd started out—in this  _life_ at least. Vaako wonders if this is Riddick's revenge? He's denied passage to the Underverse, denied purification, denied—he raises his head to look around and finds the subject of his thoughts next to a chemical fire roasting something—"Is that a rodent?" He can't help asking, squinting against the fire's glare. 

"'s good eating," the Furyan shrugs far too casually for someone who just tried to kill him for Vaako's taste. Silver eyes flash as the former Lord Marshall looks up, Vaako wonders why Riddick doesn't have his goggles on. He had aimed for them, but Vaako can't remember actually damaging the things.

"Want some?" Riddick offers, scattering Vaako's thoughts again. He has to wonder if Riddick's congeniality is a sign of brain damage? Possibly in both of them,—for some reason that isn't as disquieting as it should be. Considering he's lost everything else, losing his mental functions is surprisingly easy to accept. 

The longer he looks at Riddick, the more Vaako becomes aware of a throbbing in his head, pain not responding to Vaako's attempt to wish it away or ignore it. He grinds the heels of his hands against his eyes growling in annoyance, and when he pulls his hands away Riddick is too close for comfort. "Didn't hit ya that hard," Riddick grumbles defensively, poking at Vaako's forehead until he's forced to slap the hand away. 

"Why do you care?" He snarls, annoyed with himself for wanting the touch to return. Riddick doesn't answer, turning back to the fire and what seems to pass for his dinner. It makes something twist low in Vaako's gut, has him rolling to his knees and clawing his way over to the makeshift camp.

"Why am I alive?" He demands, using Riddick's shoulder to drag himself up into a sitting position, squeezing as hard as he can, his petty revenge for—everything and nothing, an excuse to touch again. 

"Ya want a shiv between ya ribs?" Riddick growls but doesn't shake him off, but doesn't answer either. 

"I—," now that the Underverse is closed to him, Vaako has no idea what he wants. "I want—," he sits back wondering what the hell he's supposed to want now. For decades, he'd had one goal: the Underverse, the pleasure of the Lord Marshall, and that was before—before everything really. He'd been content if not exactly happy, eager to do his duty and collect his just reward. He's never wanted anything else, just a clear purpose to strive for. 

"I want a reason to exist." He finally whispers, unable to articulate the magnitude of all the conflicting needs racing in his head. 

"Top dog of the Necro fleet wasn't enough?"  Riddick wonders mildly, and Vaako has to bite back a sneer, "nach, that's not what ya wanted—what was it? Transcendence? Whatever bullshit that is—" 

"Do not speak of things you know nothing!" He digs his fingers into the muscle of Riddick's shoulder until his fingers turn white, "what else was left to me?" 

"Yeah, well, cry me a river," Riddick finally moves, rocks back, twists and Vaako is on his back again with a knee on his chest. He looks up at the Furyan, and despite his body aching, despite his confusion and anger, Vaako feels a surge of  _want_. 

The want is not unfamiliar, but far more urgent now that his nerves are no longer dulled by Purification. Riddick leans over him, nose brushing Vaako's throat drawing in air noisily as he gropes at Vaako's crotch. 

Before Riddick can say a word, mock him for wanting where he is not wanted in return, Vaako turns his face away. He doesn't expect a hand on his jaw, or Riddick's cheek against his own. "Never did get why ya kept shoving those bitches at me while stinking of jealousy," he says, sounding tired. Vaako can't remember ever hearing Riddick sound tired before, he can't help look, but with the fire at his back, Riddick's face is a dark blur, "ya still stink of it."  

"Providing you with a mate would provide the Necromongers with a strong leader," Vaako tells the darkness, the void that's going to swallow him, "the concubines might not be able to bare young, but that didn't keep you from trying for them. We needed a strong Lord Marshall to make the fleet strong again." 

Riddick snorts, "Always with the Lord Marshall crap..." And something in Vaako cracks and shatters, rage frothing up overtaking everything else in his mind, giving unexpected strength. 

Dispassionately, he watches Riddick fly across the cave, slam into the cavern wall, and crumble in a heap. It seems to Vaako, that he's a bystander, watching how with a curse and a growl the Furyan rises falling into a fighting stance. His body feels empty, his mind strangely calm, like after purification—only without the numbness of the body that accompanied the procedure. 

He doesn't have a weapon, but that doesn't seem to matter, not when his nails can rip flesh, and his teeth can gnaw through muscle if needed. He lashes out, forgetting all training, all discipline in favor of the anger burning him up from the inside. He isn't even sure who draws first blood, only of the smell of it, copper and heady, filling the cave. 

The smell sends him into a frenzy until there is nothing but anger inside of him; hot and sharp—beautiful in its simplicity. Attacking feels right, again and again, circling each other around the fire, grappling and releasing, forcing each other down and slamming into walls until Vaako can't tell where the pain originated until it transmutes into something clean and bright and Vaako can almost forget why they are fighting in the excitement of it all. 

Part of him certainly forgets they aren't playing, his guard slips and it costs him, reacquainting him with the floor, with Riddick knees on his chest and a shiv at his throat. He has to wonder where the shiv was during the fight, where either of them was, and why he hadn't felt them rent his flesh as they so easily could—why Riddick had been playing with him.  

"What the _fuck_ is ya damage?" Riddick growls, leaning down so they are nose to nose, and Vaako can barely get any breath for the weight on his chest. Fighting, Vaako thinks distractedly, never felt this good, not even when they had still sparred, not even before Riddick when everything had seemed clear. 

"Vos, told me—," Vaako digs his fingers into the sand to keep himself from trying to touch, for a moment there he forgot himself, or maybe it's his new condition that is to blame. 

"Yeah, she told me shit too, lots of people've told me shit, don't mean it's true," the shiv pokes into the soft skin of Vaako's throat, "don't mean I have to care. In fact," their cheeks brush as Riddick leans to answer in Vaako's ear, "cared 'bout only three things lately, and the Necro army wasn't one of 'em." His thumb digging into the scar on Vaako's shoulder. 

He can guess one of the three things, the memory of the hounds dying...

"Yeah, ya know what I'm talking about," The shiv breaking skin, "figured this time, might have gotten lucky—pissed me off ta be proven wrong." 

This close, Vaako can see the shadow of the scar his teeth left on Riddick's mouth, the mark he'd been allowed, he wrenches his arm lose not sure if he's managed to free it on his own or has been allowed. 

Riddick frowns, but allows the touch, "I wanted to be one of those things." Vaako whispers.  

"Idiot," Riddick grunts, knocking his hand away and taking Vaako's mouth in a savage kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All things have to come to an end.  
> I've been itching to take this down for a complete rewrite for about three chapters now but figured whoever is reading needs at least some closure.  
> So, yeah this is it for the moment.  
> Thank you, everyone who followed along from the start, sorry it's taking so long.


End file.
